Stephen Curry did everything in his power to bend the night in Golden State’s favor, and for stretches, it looked like it might actually work. He shot with confidence, moved without the ball like the defense didn’t exist, and carried the offense possession after possession. The problem was that the rest of the game kept slipping in directions he couldn’t control.
Golden State competed, forced turnovers, and had moments where the energy spiked, but Dallas punished every lapse on the glass and lived at the free-throw line. The Warriors never fully collapsed, yet they never truly stabilized either. By the final buzzer, Curry’s brilliance stood out sharply against a night where too many supporting pieces failed to hold their ground in a 115-123 loss.
Stephen Curry: A
Game Stats: 38 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 2 TOV, 14-27 FG, 8-15 3-PT FG, 2-2 FT, 34 MIN
Curry did everything he could to drag this game somewhere competitive. The shots were coming from everywhere, off balance, late clock, tightly contested, and most of them still dropped. Dallas knew exactly what was coming and still couldn’t slow him down for long stretches. What hurt was how little room he had to operate once the Mavericks loaded up, forcing him into harder looks as the night wore on. It was a massive scoring effort that deserved a better ending.
De’Anthony Melton: B+
Game Stats: 22 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TOV, 9-15 FG, 1-4 3-PT FG, 3-6 FT, 23 MIN
Melton was aggressive early and played with confidence. He attacked mismatches, made quick decisions, and gave the Warriors a scoring punch when they needed it. Defensively, he stayed disruptive and active. His minutes were some of the more productive ones, especially given how stagnant things got elsewhere.
Moses Moody: B
Game Stats: 12 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 4-7 FG, 3-6 3-PT FG, 1-1 FT, 23 MIN
Moody played solidly for Golden State, and there were very few distractions that made him look bad. He scored when he got the ball and didn’t have to do the score when he got the ball. He was solid and calm, and that was a nice change of pace from all the yelling and chaos around him. He was active without fouling, and his defense was solid. He was one of the better players on the floor, and there were very few players on the floor who played well.
Brandin Podziemski: B
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 4 REB, 10 AST, 2 STL, 1 TOV, 4-13 FG, 0-4 3-PT FG, 1-2 FT, 33 MIN
Even when the offense stalled, Podziemski remained busy all night. He focused on the ball, maintained pace, and stayed aggressive to try to create offensive opportunities. He shot poorly, particularly from deep, but made lots of effort and smart plays. He was actively attempting to create something in the games, so his assist total was reflective of that instead of settling for an assist. It was not clean, but rather competitive.
Al Horford: B-
Game Stats: 3 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TOV, 1-4 FG, 1-3 3-PT FG, 26 MIN
Boxes out, talks on defense, and makes the extra pass. These are some of the veteran things Horford did. He did not ask for the offense to run through, and did not run through him. He steadied some combo’s shaky stretches with his rebounding and was seldom out of position. It is not loud production, but it was useful.
Draymond Green: C
Game Stats: 4 PTS, 5 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK, 3 TOV, 1-5 FG, 0-1 3-PT FG, 2-2 FT, 23 MIN
It was not a Draymond takeover game, but he took part. He talked, pointed, and directed line traffic and tried to organize lineups that were out of stuggled to find offensive consistency. Opportunity-wise, his was limited, and he did not force much, which at times helped the Warriors and at times, left them needing more. He battled defensively, but the rebounding gap made everything more difficult. A steady presence, but not a momentum changer.
Gui Santos: C
Game Stats: 5 PTS, 4 REB, 2-5 FG, 1-4 3-PT FG, 17 MIN
Santos’ minutes came and went quickly, but he played with energy. He didn’t hesitate when open, and even when shots missed, the confidence didn’t disappear. Defensively, he stayed engaged and didn’t shy away from contact. It wasn’t a night where he left a big mark, but he didn’t look out of place either.
Buddy Hield: C-
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2-7 FG, 1-5 3-PT FG, 1-1 FT, 15 MIN
Hield was providing spacing, but the flow was not consistent. He did not stand ready for a shot, but the results were mixed. He stayed in and out defensively more than expected. He stayed alert and did not leave obvious gaps. It was not his sharpest shooting night, but he did not go off the board.
Gary Payton II: C-
Game Stats: 4 PTS, 3 REB, 1 TOV, 2-6 FG, 0-1 3-PT FG, 17 MIN
Payton always brings his usual edge. You could feel his active presence the second he checked in, moving his hands and his active feet, poking and prodding Dallas’ defense a little too actively. He made several little plays that don’t show up in the stat sheet, but disrupted the defenders, which is a huge plus for the offense. He kept it simple, didn’t go for the shots, and took what was given. The defense of Golden State went away, but Payton never stopped grinding, which stood out when the game was getting out of hand.
Will Richard: C-
Game Stats: 2 AST, 3 STL, 0-1 FG, 0-1 3-PT FG, 13 MIN
Richard had a pretty uneventful game this time. He executed all of the plays meant for him, made smart plays, and seemed pretty focused on his role. There were a few chances where he could’ve tried to force the issue, but chose to pass the ball and keep his distance. On defense, he played to his spot and didn’t give up the easy ones. He played the type of game that almost no one noticed, but he stayed calm and was a big help to the Warriors when he spaced the floor.
Jonathan Kuminga: N/A
Game Stats: 10 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 3-3 FG, 4-4 FT, 9 MIN
Kuminga was electric in a short burst. He scored 10 points in just nine minutes, attacking the rim with confidence and finishing through contact. His athleticism immediately shifted the pace, and Dallas clearly wasn’t ready for his downhill pressure. The grade would’ve been higher if the minutes were longer. Once again, his absence during key stretches felt glaring given how effective he was when on the floor.
Quinten Post: N/A
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 1-3 FG, 0-2 3-PT FG, 6 MIN
Post’s role was simple: give minutes and don’t let things fall apart. He stayed physical, didn’t drift, and competed on the glass when asked. The offense never really came his way, and when it did, the looks weren’t great. Still, he held his spot and didn’t compound mistakes.
