Doncic, Mavs dominate Warriors
From the moment Maxi Kleber scored on the Mavericks’ first possession in Monday night’s 133-103 win over the Warriors, there seemed to be a different vibe.
Hopes to avoid yet another sluggish start gave way to optimism that the Mavericks, down two starters in their second game in less than 24 hours, might manage to challenge Steph Curry and Golden State in a game rife with playoff implications.
Soon after that: full-blown, dominant bliss.
Trailing 12-11 three minutes and 20 seconds into the game, the Mavericks began what would become a 28-0 run over the next 9:40 and a 36-4 run over the next 13:31.
From torrid first-quarter to historic halftime advantage to Luka Doncic’s thirdquarter brilliance, Dallas appeared confident, in control and resilient on the court, qualities they lacked in an upset loss to Sacramento on Monday night,
Their off-court status benefited, too. Earlier in the evening, the No. 7 Trail Blazers (33-28) beat the Pacers to pull within a half-game of No. 6 Dallas in the Western Conference playoff standings.
Had the Mavericks lost in Golden State, they would’ve fallen back into a tie with Portland, which owns the head-to-head tiebreaker, and improved the chances of the No. 10 Warriors (31-31) catching them in the race for a top-6 seed, too.
Instead, Dallas ended its latest stretch of five games in seven days with a 4-1 record and their fourth straight win in Golden State.
Perhaps the keys to fixing the Mavericks’ early-game woes are to:
— Start on a short night’s rest, about 20 hours after a dispiriting, winning-streakending loss
— Play without their No. 2 star in Kristaps Porzingis and top guard defender in Josh Richardson
— Face a Future Hall of Fame superstar on a historic shooting pace.
Those conditions won’t exist in each of the Mavericks’ final 11 games of the regular season, but the poise they showed in the first quarter proved their energy and vigor from the opening tip is one of the most crucial factors in jumpstarting their rhythm for the entire game.
All 14 Mavericks who played scored, including six in doble figures.
After the Warriors made each of their first four shot attempts, they missed their next 18, including nine 3-pointers.
Trey Burke — who replaced Tim Hardaway Jr. in the starting lineup, who had replaced Richardson the previous two games — thrived as the primary defender against Curry with double-team traps often available.
The Mavericks built their lead to 24 by the end of the first quarter.
Then 31 midway through the second period.
And 33 just before the halftime buzzer. Doncic drove toward the basket, slowing before accelerating into the lane with his patented crafty touch, to toss in a floater and receive a few extra congratulations on his way to the Oracle Arena locker room.
Before the game, Carlisle struggled to articulate Curry’s brilliance over the last few months. Every 3-pointer Curry has made since Golden State’s second half Sunday has been historic. His 90 total in April so far — including five on Tuesday night — are the most in a single month by any player in NBA history.