Warriors' Green plays big against Mavs
The Warriors were starting to pull away from the Dallas Mavericks by the second quarter, taking a 15-point lead with just under five minutes to go in the first half.
The Mavs were a shell of themselves minus Luka Doncic, but a Warriors team prone to late-game collapses needed a few players not named Draymond Green to keep that separation with a few stops and plays.
Enter JaMychal Green, who stuffed Spencer Dinwiddie's layup attempt with one of his two weakside blocks to help secure the Warriors' 15-point lead at the half and eventual 119113 win on Saturday night.
After Steph Curry left the game with a lower leg injury, the Warriors nearly gave up that lead in another fourth-quarter collapse. But Green's emergence — a 14-point, five rebound within 15 minutes off the bench — gave them a little cushion.
“I thought JaMychal was our player of the game in terms of what he provided in his minutes,” coach Steve Kerr said. “Just the toughness inside, the scoring, made some good defensive
plays. That position was manned well by JaMychal, (Kevon) Looney and Draymond
(Green).”
Green's emergence could be coming at a perfect time for the Warriors. They could use a little more size in the rotation. That started with Kerr opting to start Looney on Saturday for the first time since Jan. 19, putting an indefinite end to the three-guard starting lineup he trotted out over their last eight games starting against the Celtics in Boston.
The three-guard lineup featuring Curry, Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond at the five wasn't providing the spark the Warriors' staff had hoped — producing a modest plus-2.9 net rating compared to the Looney lineup's plus-21.3.
Green had missed 14 straight games starting in late December with COVID, then a staf infection in his leg. And when Green was ready to return in lateJanuary, the smaller ball strategy pushed him to the bench more often than not. Kerr warned Green that he'd be sitting out a few games; he played four of the Warriors last 21 games before Saturday.
“I was frustrated,” Green said. “I'm not going to lie, but I took it as a challenge. Took it upon myself to get in the gym and just stay ready. It's hard being in and out.”