CURRY, LOONEY LEAD BIG COMEBACK
SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry scored 32 points with six three-pointers and eight rebounds, Kevon Looney had a career-high 21 points and 12 rebounds, and the Warriors used one of their signature third-quarter flurries to rally past the Mavericks 126-117 on Friday night for a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.
Luka Doncic and the Mavericks led most of the way before the Warriors took their first lead of the night on Otto Porter Jr.’s three 18 seconds into the fourth. Porter’s three-point play with 7:21 remaining made it 100-92.
Doncic scored 18 of his 42 points in the first quarter — two points shy of his 20-point Game 1 total. His three with 13 seconds before halftime put the Mavs up 72-58 at the break and gave him 24 points.
He even got a Twitter shoutout from Oakland’s own MC Hammer: “Ok young Luka … We see you.”
Andrew Wiggins’ three with 49 seconds left in the third got the Warriors back within 83-81 only for Doncic to answer on a layup moments later. But a 25-13 quarter for the Warriors pulled them to 85-83 going into fourth — a third quarter reminiscent of those that defined so many of their recent playoff runs.
Doncic shot 12-for-23 and shined in a game of brilliant shotmaking — the Warriors finished 56.1% from the floor. In the first half alone, the Mavericks edged the Warriors 52.3% to 51.2%, including a remarkable 55.6% to 53.3% from three-point range.
The series shifts to Dallas for Game 3 on Sunday. The Warriors are two victories away from a return to the NBA Finals for the first time since making five consecutive trips from 2015-19.
Jordan Poole scored 23 points off the bench, Wiggins had 16 and Klay Thompson — held scoreless in the first half of the series opener — added 15 points for a second consecutive game.
Jalen Brunson scored eight of the first 14 points for the Mavs on the way to 31. The Mavericks didn’t have to see as much of Draymond Green, who picked up his fifth foul with 6:01 left in the third, then returned with 6:33 left before fouling out with 2:25 to go.