What we learned as Warriors falls short in the shootout with the Mavs

What we learned as Warriors falls short in the shootout with the Mavs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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SAN FRANCISCO – Too much Luka Dončić, too little time for the Warriors Sunday night at the Chase Center in a 143-133 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

What a difference in styles one game makes. A few days after a 91-90 early exit in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, the Warriors trailed the Mavericks 81-74 through the first two quarters as defense was seemingly optional.

Offense was not a problem for the Warriors. For the first time all season, the Warriors had four players score 20 or more points. Andrew Wiggins scored a team-high 29 points, followed by 26 from Steph Curry, 21 from Draymond Green and 20 from Jonathan Kuminga.

The Warriors’ 3-point shooting kept them in the game all night. It’s also nearly impossible to win when a superstar like Dončić has a 45-point, 11-rebound, 13-assist triple-double, missing just seven shots and just two two-pointers.

Klay Thompson, in his second game against the Warriors, dropped 29 points, including 13 big ones in the fourth quarter.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ loss to the Mavs.

Cool hand Luka

But the Oklahoma City Thunder made Dončić score only 16 points in Dallas’ previous game, the Warriors didn’t get the memo. From start to finish, Dončić did whatever he wanted against Golden State’s defense.

Dončić scored 15 points in the first quarter, 13 points in the second and another 13 points in the third quarter to give him a season-high 41 in the fourth. He was also already at a triple-double with 10 rebounds and 10 assists and had only missed three shots — all 3-pointers.

He’s not the fastest, he’s not the most athletic or explosive, but Dončić’s body control and eye manipulation are second to none. He has been a professional since before he could drive, and it shows every time he steps on the floor.

The first time the Warriors faced the Mavs, they held him to 31 points, which sounds comical. He was contained because Dončić made just two of his 10 3-point attempts. His hot start on Sunday night was simply too much to handle.

Dallas has other scoring options, most notably in Thompson and Kyrie Irving, but Dončić is in a league of his own, and the Warriors paid for his greatness.

Klay’s return, part II

There were more pixie hats than captain’s hats in the stands. The pregame hype was silenced. And still seeing Thompson in a Mavericks jersey no. 31 at the Chase Center will still take some getting used to.

His 3-point shot, however, is something Warriors fans will never forget. Thompson attempted three 3-pointers in the first quarter and converted on two. He then shot three more triples in the second quarter, missed all three and went into halftime with eight points.

In the third quarter, Thompson began to heat up, hitting two early threes and a mid-range jumper that forced a Warriors timeout. After three quarters, Thompson was up to 16 points, three more than his season average of 13.3 points per game.

After a disastrous sequence from Brandin Podziemski, Thompson hit a corner three in the fourth quarter to put the Mavs up by 12 points, and he screamed in cheers. Thompson finished with a season-high 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting and was 7 of 11 from long range, contributing to the game’s NBA-record 48 combined 3-pointers.

It is no coincidence that his two highest scoring games this season have been against his former team.

Sixth man Draymond

For the second time this season, Steve Kerr started the game with Green on the bench. With Green off the court, the Warriors’ defense will certainly take a hit. The Mavs probably took advantage, too.

They made their first nine shots of the game. As surprising as it sounds, it’s not a typo. When Green entered the game with seven and a half minutes left in the first quarter, the Warriors already trailed by 12 points, 23-11.

Behind Dončić’s elite play, the Mavs continued to roll, but Green was fantastic to begin the game. In the first quarter, he had nine points while making three of his four 3-point attempts. His fourth three of the night, this time in the second quarter, was set a new Warriors franchise record – also tying an NBA record – and Green let the whole building know about it.

Another three in the third quarter gave Green five on the night, his second most ever in a game. It also tied him for a season-high 19 points. Green scored two more points in the fourth and finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists. How he starts games going forward will remain a story to be seen as Kerr still searches for the right combinations.

The Warriors are now 0-2 this season in the two games in which Green came off the bench.

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