The Golden State Warriors improved their record to 9-2 at the Chase Center tonight by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 120-117 on Klay Thompson’s homecoming night. The Mavericks fall to a 5-6 record on the season as the reigning NBA Finalists lost their third clutch game in a row to fall below .500.
Stephen Curry dominated the Mavericks with his 37 points (14-27 FG), six rebounds, and nine assists, scoring 12 straight points at the end of the game to steal the win from the Mavs who led by five points late in the fourth. Draymond Green had an all-around 11 points (3-6 FG), seven rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks while Jonathan Kuminga added 16 points (6-11 FG). De’Anthony Melton (6-12 FG) and Buddy Hield (6-13 FG) both scored 14 points in the win.
The Mavericks were led by Luka Doncic‘s 31 points (13-27 FG), eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Klay Thompson put up 22 points (7-17 FG) in his return but failed to have a winning impact ultimately. Kyrie Irving had a quiet 21 points (8-13 FG) while Daniel Gafford had 15 points (7-8 FG) in the loss,
This was a rough loss for the Mavs and an impressive win for the Warriors, but what were the major factors behind the outcome of one of the best games so far this season?
Stephen Curry’s Fourth Quarter Masterclass
Stephen Curry hasn’t had the best start to the 2024-25 season, averaging 22.0 points on 47.2% shooting heading into this game. The Warriors went 3-0 over a recent absence as well, showing the team has the strength to win without Curry carrying them. However, the Warriors couldn’t have defeated the Mavericks tonight without Curry’s contributions.
The Mavericks led by six points with 3:29 left in the game before Curry cut that lead down to one with consecutive jump shots for five quick points. With 1:50 left, Curry sunk a layup to give the Warriors a one-point lead before making it a two-possession game with a three-pointer with 28 seconds left. After Quentin Grimes hit a three to make it a one-point game, Curry sank two free throws to give the Warriors a three-point lead, prompting Doncic to take a bad stepback three for the tie which missed.
STEPHEN CURRY
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED ⁉️ pic.twitter.com/zYTPKxVj7g
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 13, 2024
That was 12 straight points for Curry in the clutch to snatch the win from the Mavericks, who scored three points as a team in response. It was a complete collapse as Curry’s 12-point explosion buried the Mavericks and led to the Warriors guard celebrating with his trademark ‘Night Night’ celebration.
Mavericks’ Turnovers And Lost Rebounds Played A Huge Role
The fact the Mavericks have lost their last three clutch games within a possession is surprising primarily because the team has looked clunky for all of those games. Their rebounding is becoming a consistent problem, stretching over to this game where the Warriors outboarded them 50-40. Sloppy on-ball play from the Mavs also caused them to give up 17 turnovers to the Warriors 12.
The issue with the 17 Mavericks turnovers was that 13 of them came off successful Warriors steals, creating nightmares for the team in transition. This also caused the Mavs to be out-of-position for many Warriors offensive positions this game, giving up 18 offensive rebounds despite having two seven-footers like Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II.
Given it was a one-possession game that was won off Curry’s nuclear clutch-time performance, losing the game on these crucial fronts doomed the Mavericks’ chances of success. They’re losing most games on offensive rebounding and sloppy on-ball play, with this loss serving as another perfect example.
Klay Thompson’s Addition Complicating Rotations For Dallas
The Mavericks added Klay Thompson in the summer with the hopes of rejuvenating the team’s outside scoring. So far this season, Klay has made 3.2 three-pointers per game on 8.5 attempts (37.2 3P%). His 6-12 performance from three tonight was impressive, but the team has lost many of its key tools which made them go to the NBA Finals last season.
Klay was guaranteed a starting role on the Mavericks, something he’s maintained over the first 11 games of the season. But adding Klay has caused the Mavs to play without a bonafide POA defender on the court, the role Derrick Jones Jr. played last season. The Mavericks closed the game with essentially a four-guard lineup with Luka, Kyrie, Klay, and Quentin Grimes just for Grimes’ ability as a POA defender.
The shooting is important but the Mavs don’t have the tenacious defensive identity that catapulted them to the Finals last season. With Jaden Hardy and Spencer Dinwiddie’s inconsistent scoring off the bench, it’s becoming clear that Klay needs to embrace a sixth-man role as a bench spark plug to maximize his impact on the Mavericks.
With PJ Washington’s impending return from injury, the Mavericks should consider starting either Naji Marshall or Grimes as the small forward to shore up their defense with Klay’s scoring touch on the second unit. Rotations can be staggered to ensure Klay is playing alongside Luka or Kyrie at all times as a two-guard or floor-spacing three, but starting him might cause the Mavericks to limit their potential this season.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.
