warriors game day (Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account)
ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA — The Golden State Warriors demolished the Dallas Mavericks, 105-85, but there was a lot of anticipation going into this game, with the Warriors sitting just two games above the Mavs in the standings and the 2013-14 season hitting its home stretch.
Follow along as that anticipation turned into a sizzling performance by Jordan Crawford, whereby Andrew Bogut was the leading Dubs scorer until Crawford took over, to go along with an endline-to-endline highlight by Andre Iguodala, Klay Thompson getting hot, another excellent team defensive display, and Stephen Curry extending his league-leading consecutive game streak for making at least one three-pointer to 53 games.
PRE-GAME
Monta Ellis was back and said hello to a very happy Bob Fitzgerald and Jim Barnett, who had covered Ellis for so many year. Great memories.
Meanwhile, at the pregame presser, head coach Mark Jackson was asked by a Dallas beatwriter if Curry was improving, and Jackson said that Curry was continuing to “push the button”.
IN-GAME
A Warriors fan caught part of Ellis’s bridge logo tattoo on his left shoulder blade. This one drew a lot of Likes from #DubNation. Early on, the Warriors took a 29-22 lead to end the first quarter. Bogut had 9 points and 5 rebounds early on.
Crawford had collected 14 points on 6-for-6 shooting by 5:55 remaining in the first half. The Warriors took a 55-44 lead into the break.
Iguodala’s block a shot by Shawn Marion, then hustled down the court to get a putback slam of a Curry “hit-the-brakes” three-pointer. Marreese Speights would greet his old pal at the ensuing timeout.
Thompson got hot in the third quarter, with this post-up turnaround jumper. Bogut had many slam dunks tonight as the Mavericks could not deal with the Warriors’ outside threat and got beat by a cutting Bogut. By 4:04 of the third quarter, it was Warriors 71, Mavs 50.
At the end of three quarters, the Warriors were up 79-56. Bogut had tallied 15 points by now and Thompson had 14, to go along with Crawford’s 14 first-half points.
Curry provided the requisite wizardry and we got a courtside clip of his and-one. With 5:50 to go, the Warriors had this one in the bag, 90-70.
The final score was Warriors 108, #Mavs 85. Crawford led the Warriors with 19 points off the bench.
POST-GAME
Jackson described Steve Blake: “He is the maestro.” The usual low-key Crawford talked about what gets him going: “Just gettin’ good looks.”
Curry told LetsGoWarriors that he thought he had already made one, in reference to the lone three-pointer that extended his consecutive games streak, denying that he had knowledge that the record might come to an end. However, one of our followers disagreed.
@poormanscommish Two words: Baby-faced liar. 🙂
— Swopa (@Swopa) March 12, 2014
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Meanwhile, Bogut praised Draymond Green after the game, not just for his defense, but also saying, “He’s a very, very good shooter,” something #DubNation probably has not heard on a consistent basis since Green arrived.
Lee said, “The second unit’s now starting to get a great rhythm.”
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