The Dallas Mavericks are going through the roughest two weeks the franchise has seen in years, dealing with fan outrage from them trading Luka Doncic away before losing multiple frontcourt players to injuries. Despite that, they picked up a 111-107 win at home over the rival Golden State Warriors.
Kyrie Irving had a magical outing, putting up 42 points (15-25 FG) and seven rebounds in the win by carrying the Mavericks. Klay Thompson contributed 17 points (6-19 FG) and seven rebounds while Max Christie continued his great form with 17 points (6-12 FG), five rebounds, and four assists. Naji Marshall had 10 points (5-10 FG) and eight rebounds off the bench while Brandon Williams had 12 points (4-6 FG).
Stephen Curry worked hard to bring the Warriors back from a double-digit deficit but ended the night with 25 points (9-23 FG) and eight assists. Jimmy Butler had 21 points (8-17 FG), nine rebounds, and seven assists while Draymond Green had 13 points (5-10 FG), five rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks. Moses Moody (5-13 FG) and Gary Payton II (6-9 FG) both had 14 points off the bench.
Let’s take a deeper look at this game and analyze the major takeaways.
Kyrie Irving Can Shoulder The Offensive Load
This was a defining night for Kyrie Irving this season. The load on his shoulders has been massively increased in the wake of the Luka Doncic trade, becoming the Mavericks’ primary initiator, playmaker, and scorer in Doncic’s absence. He’s averaged 41.3 minutes over the last four games while playing through back injuries.
While Irving’s production continues to lack consistency, nights like tonight are very important in reiterating his value as one of the best guards in the NBA. He put up 42 points (15-25 FG, 7-10 3P) on a night where he comprehensively outplayed both Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. Irving was the biggest difference-maker on the court as the Mavericks as a team were looking inferior to Golden State coming into this.
While Irving’s offensive responsibilities should be lighter when players like PJ Washington, Dante Exum, and most crucially, Anthony Davis return to the squad.
However, the team has a back-to-back tomorrow night against the Miami Heat before the All-Star break, so Irving will have to ice himself up and get ready for another fierce night of basketball tomorrow.
A Favorable Matchup And Hot Shooting
This matchup was a Godsend for the Warriors considering their current injury issues. The Warriors don’t have any dominant big man who could punish the Mavericks for their lack of size on the interior. Starter Quentin Post is a perimeter-centric player while backup center Kevon Looney was hard to deploy given the defensive issues he faced as the Mavericks stretched out the Warriors with consistent five-out lineups.
The Mavericks shot 42-87 (48.3 FG%) from the field and 15-36 (41.7 3P%) from three, getting crucial efficiency on a night where they had no hopes of winning the inside battle. All the Mavericks players to get minutes outside two-way center Kylor Kelley were under 6’8″ but the team managed to out-small-ball the Warriors for this win.
The Warriors were dominating the offensive glass and created 33 second-chance points from 18 offensive rebounds, but their shooting was mostly woeful. They went 41-96 (42.7 FG%) from the field and a dismal 10-35 (28.6 3P%) from three. Even with the advantages they had through their roster, a shooting nightmare ensued and ensured the Warriors stayed out of reach of this win.
Stephen Curry Letdown
Everyone can see that Curry led the team in scoring and was instrumental in them cutting down a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter to bring the Warriors to the final possession of the game. However, his shotmaking was incredibly inefficient with many shots just being chucked at the rim while his defense on Kyrie or anyone he was switched onto was also tragic.
Jimmy Butler isn’t the offensive engine of this roster and he managed a respectable 21-7-7 night that you’d expect from him. Curry scored over his season average but going 4-13 from three and 9-23 from the field will always be a tough sell in a win where there arent many offensive weapons around you, Butler did his part, but there really isn’t anything on this roster beyond these two stars.
This performance was a result of how overburdened Curry is offensively. While Jonathan Kuminga’s impending return should ease matters, Curry can’t be the single-handed offensive magnet who can flip results on his head consistently anymore. He has that talent and he displayed it with 11 fourth-quarter points, but that was too little and too late.
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