Curry blazing again as Warriors dump Mavs.
Curry makes 11 3-pointers in 48-point performance to help Warriors hold off Mavs in Dallas
DALLAS >> When all else fails, the Warriors have two dependable options. Lean on Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.
The Warriors prevailed with a 119-114 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday by leaning on their two leading scorers as they often do. Curry, who had 48 points on 17-of-32 shooting and 11-of-19 from long, made a 3-pointer at the top of the key that gave the Warriors a 117-114 lead with 42.2 seconds left. Durant added 28 points on a 10-of21 clip.
Par for the course for the Warriors’ two All-Stars. What is more interesting: Durant asked for Warriors coach Steve Kerr to change various plays, including the final one so that Curry had the ball instead of him.
“Those guys always have a great feel with what’s happening on the floor,” Kerr said. “KD is so unselfish. When he sees somebody going, he’s going to get them the ball.”
Here are some things we learned from the Warriors’ fourth straight victory.
DURANT APPRECIATES KERR’S COLLABORATIVE NATURE >> Why wouldn’t Durant want to have some individual glory?
“He was having mismatches and making shots over everybody,” Durant said. “So why run plays instead of just getting him the ball?”
Durant made it clear he was not questioning Kerr’s coaching. Durant likes Kerr’s openness.
“Most of us in the locker room know the game just as much as coach,” Durant said. “So a collaborative effort comes from wanting to be successful each possession and coach calls great plays for us and we try to fine-tune the little details within those plays sometimes.”
That was totally fine with Curry, who had his fifth 40-point game of the season. It was a good thing the Warriors (29-14) had Curry and Durant to cement their fourth consecutive win.
In a game that featured four ties and six lead changes, the rest of the Warriors shot a collective 18-of-46 from the field. Klay Thompson had 16 points albeit on an inefficient 7-of-20 from the field and 2-of-11 from 3. The Mavericks (20-23) featured Luka Doncic (26 points), Harrison Barnes
(22), DeAndre Jordan (13 points, 14 rebounds) and Jalen Brunson (12) in double figures.
“The way they were defending us just made sense tonight,” Curry said. “You have to be ready to take those shots, make them and live through the results.”
KERR CHANGED CURRY’S STAGGERED MINUTES AGAIN >> For the previous two games, Curry has sat in the second and fourth quarters as he often did earlier under Kerr. What prompted the change?
Kerr wanted to do some early prep for when DeMarcus Cousins plans to return against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday after rehabbing a left Achilles tendon for almost the past year.
“We want to look at something obviously a little different,” Kerr said. “With his presence, it would be easier to make that adjustment off that current rotation.”
What did that current rotation entail?
Curry played all but the final 36.3 seconds of the first quarter. Thompson, Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala, Draymond Green and Jonas Jerebko opened the second quarter and fourth quarter. Curry entered with 7:09 left in the second quarter. Curry entered the fourth quarter for the final 8:22.
“I got to get in shape, man. I’m
not used to playing 12 minutes straight,” said Curry, who played
36 minutes. “Tonight was a step in the right direction in terms of getting
back to that.”
It appears likely the Warriors will close out the game with Curry, Thompson, Durant, Iguodala and Durant, while leaning on Cousins to anchor the team’s second unit. The Warriors have three more games to iron out those rotations before Cousins’ arrival.
“It’s what I’m used to. If he happens to go back, I’ll be ready for that,” Curry said of Kerr’s rotation. “But it’s about understanding what to expect going into every game and being able to play. But I do enjoy it. It’ll get everybody more comfortable instead of dumping it out there at once.”
GREEN CONFUSED ABOUT FLAGRANT FOUL 1 >> Green sounded confused about receiving the call after fouling Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes with 3:51 left in the game.
“Officials aren’t really talking,” Green said. “You couldn’t really converse with them, so I don’t know what the explanation was.” What did he say to them?
“I said it’s crazy. I think they were saying I ripped through,” Green said. “But the law of gravity says I can’t pull my weight to pull him up. It is what it is. It ain’t help. They lost. Oh well.”
Green contested Jalen Brunson’s layup attempt at the rim with 27 seconds left. Still, that call could have been a game-defining play.
“I didn’t think he threw him to the floor,” Kerr said. “It was a hard foul. I didn’t agree with the call. But that was the call.”