Even though they were playing the second leg of a back-to-back, missing two starters, and trailing the Dallas Mavericks by 16 points at the half, the Golden State Warriors had a strong chance to defeat them at the buzzer. After Dallas sent two defenders after Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson caught in the corner and launched right away, with the ball escaping his hands just before the fourth-quarter clock reached zero.
Obviously, Golden State will always cherish that game-winning shot, regardless of the unfortunate circumstances that led up to it. Even the Dubs’ 108-106 loss to the Luka Doncic-less Mavs is encouraging as the postseason approaches, considering all they overcome to almost extend their winning streak to seven games this season.
“It’s amazing how our boys battled, persevering through eight or nine points when there weren’t many minutes remaining. The degree of rivalry and cohesion, as well as the manner in which they battled single-handedly against a more experienced bunch of guys—Steph, Klay, CP, and Dray—was very remarkable, according to Steve Kerr. “I adore these guys,” They are amazing. I simply didn’t have enough of it tonight.
The home club, the Mavericks, jumped out to a 29-13 advantage while the shorthanded Warriors, still without both Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga, were hardly conscious of the tipoff. From then, Kerr’s second unit turned the tide of the game, as Chris Paul, Gary Payton II, and Brandin Podziemski led a persistent two-way drive that placed Golden State ahead by one point at the halfway point of the second quarter.
Throughout the last quarter, Dallas made many threats to pull away, taking advantage of the Warriors’ habit of making mistakes and committing long-range jump shots with heavy legs. Curry, however, found his game in the closing minutes, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter to offer his side a dangerous opportunity to steal a victory.
Regarding the game’s last possession, Kerr remarked, “Those are tough circumstances to get a great look, and they did a good job switching everything and then taking the ball out of Steph’s hands.” “But we managed to get it out, and we had a good look, but those are definitely difficult times.”
Before Curry came to the rescue late in the game, the Dubs had trouble controlling the ball, their rotations weren’t always precise, and the offense suffered without Wiggins and Kuminga. During a pivotal stretch of the last few weeks of the season, this was obviously not one of their greatest performances.
Regardless, take Friday’s defeat as more evidence of the idea and consistency of Golden State’s recent play. When the postseason does begin, the Warriors’ primary concerns are going to be who they play against and where they play, rather than battling it out with the Houston Rockets for the last slot in the play-in round. That in and of itself is a significant victory.
According to NBA.com/stats, lineups with Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis enjoy an absolutely dominant 99.7 defensive rating since the All-Star break—a lineup that Kerr has hinted at starting even when Kuminga recovers from injury. Thompson’s seamless transition to the bench has led to his deserving return to the starting lineup. The improved reserve unit of Golden State is still having a favorable effect.
