SAN FRANCISCO – Too much Luka Dončić, too little time for the Warriors on Sunday night at Chase Center in a 143-133 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
What a difference in styles one game makes. A few days after a 91-90 early exit in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, the Warriors trailed the Mavericks 81-74 through the first two quarters as defense apparently was optional.
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Offense wasn’t an issue for the Warriors. For the first time all season, the Warriors had four players score 20 or more points. Andrew Wiggins scored a team-high 29 points, followed by 26 from Steph Curry, 21 from Draymond Green and 20 from Jonathan Kuminga.
Steph hits ANOTHER triple 🤩 pic.twitter.com/OA1Rf9qj2Y
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 16, 2024
The Warriors' 3-point shooting kept them in the game all night. It’s also nearly impossible to win when a superstar like Dončić has a 45-point, 11-rebound, 13-assist triple-double where he misses only seven shots and just two two-pointers.
Klay Thompson in his second game against the Warriors dropped 29 points, including 13 big ones in the fourth quarter.
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Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ loss to the Mavs.
Cool Hand Luka
However the Oklahoma City Thunder corralled Dončić into scoring just 16 points in Dallas’ previous game, the Warriors didn’t get the memo. From start to finish, Dončić did whatever he wanted against Golden State’s defense.
Dončić scored 15 points in the first quarter, 13 in the second and another 13 in the third quarter to give him a season-high 41 going into the fourth. He also already was at a triple-double with 10 rebounds and 10 assists and had only missed three shots – all being 3-pointers.
He isn’t the fastest, he isn't the most athletic or explosive, yet Dončićs body control and eye manipulation is second to none. He has been a pro since before he could drive, and it shows every time he steps on the floor.
Count 'em up: 👌👌👌👌👌 pic.twitter.com/7pnKph8ZxP
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) December 16, 2024
The first time the Warriors faced the Mavs, they held him to 31 points, which sounds comical. He was contained because Dončić only made two of his 10 3-point attempts. His hot start Sunday night simply was too much to handle.
Dallas has other scoring options, especially in Thompson and Kyrie Irving, but Dončić is in a league of his own, and the Warriors paid for his greatness.
Klay’s Return, Part II
There were more Santa hats than captain’s hats in the stands. The pregame hype was brought down to a hush. And still, seeing Thompson in a No. 31 Mavericks jersey at Chase Center will continue to take some time getting used to.
His 3-point shot, however, is something Warriors fans will never forget. Thompson tried three 3-pointers in the first quarter and converted on two. He then shot another three triples in the second quarter, missing all three, and entered halftime with eight points.
In the third quarter, Thompson began heating up, hitting two threes early on and a mid-range jumper that forced a Warriors timeout. After three quarters, Thompson was up to 16 points, three more than his season average of 13.3 points per game.
RINSE & REPEAT 🔁 pic.twitter.com/kzye9p1A2Q
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) December 16, 2024
Following a disastrous sequence from Brandin Podziemski, Thompson nailed a corner three in the fourth quarter to put the Mavs up by 12 points, and he screamed out in jubilation. Thompson ended with a season-high 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting and was 7 of 11 from long distance, contributing to the game's NBA-record 48 combined 3-pointers.
It’s no coincidence his two highest scoring games this season have been against his former team.
Sixth Man Draymond
For the second time this season, Steve Kerr began the game with Green on the bench. Whenever Green isn’t on the court, the Warriors’ defense is sure to take a hit. The Mavs sure took advantage, too.
They made their first nine shots of the game. As startling as that sounds, it’s not a typo. By the time Green entered the game with seven and a half minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Warriors already were down by 12 points, 23-11.
Behind Dončić’s elite play, the Mavs kept rolling, but Green was great to begin the game. In the first quarter, he had nine points while making three of his four 3-point attempts. His fourth three of the night, this time in the second quarter, set a new Warriors franchise record – also tying a NBA record – and Green let the whole building hear about it.
Draymond sets a franchise record with the Warriors’ 18th first-half 3-pointer 🤯 pic.twitter.com/H970klFdXx
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 16, 2024
Another three in the third quarter gave Green five on the night, his second-most ever for a game. It also put him up to a season-high 19 points. Green scored two more points in the fourth and finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists. How he starts games going forward will continue to be a storyline to watch as Kerr still is searching for the right combinations.
The Warriors now are 0-2 this season in the two games Green came off the bench.
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