Historic Warriors not shooting enough to keep up with Luka Doncic, Mavericks – The Mercury News

On December 16, 2024By Littum

SAN FRANCISCO — When the Mavericks led the Warriors 100-90 midway through the third quarter, it seemed like everything was on the table. The all-time record for points in a game, the single-game record for 3-pointers, 60 points for Luka Doncic.

Some of the most extreme records remain intact, however, as the Warriors and Mavericks combined for 48 3-pointers – the most in any game ever. The Warriors matched their franchise record with 27 treys. Doncic dropped a season-high 45 points to go along with 13 assists and 11 rebounds, and Draymond Green (21 points) and Klay Thompson (29 points) also posted season-highs.

The worst record for the Warriors? Most made 3-pointers in a loss in league history.

The sliding Warriors and surging Mavericks clashed at the Chase Center, producing a scoring explosion and a 143-133 Mavericks victory.

Defense hasn’t been the problem for the Warriors this year, even in their 2-8 skid, but the Mavericks — who have won 12 of 14 — ripped them up nonetheless. The Warriors (14-11) cut a 19-point deficit to three in the second half, but never proved for any meaningful stretch that they could get enough defensive stops to beat the Mavericks. Even the best shooting night in franchise history wasn’t enough.

“The problem was Luka Doncic,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said after the game. “He was incredible. Give him credit, give Dallas credit. They have a heck of a team — made the finals last year. They spread you out. They’re as hard to guard as anybody. And we tried a lot of different things.”

Twice in as many days, Kerr called Draymond Green the best defensive player in the world. But due to the Warriors’ constant search for the right combinations and the best ways to maximize Jonathan Kuminga, Kerr had the best defender on Earth on the bench as the Mavericks started the game 9-for-9 from the field.

“They pretty much beat us in the first six minutes,” Curry said after the game.

The fiery Mavericks got what they wanted, both in the half court and in transition. Doncic got 15 points in his first six minutes. Buddy Hield and Lindy Waters III spent time trying to stay in front of Kyrie Irving — a difficult task for even the best perimeter defenders in the league.

A Quentin Grimes corner 3 off a gorgeous skip pass from Doncic punctuated the quarter in which Dallas shot 65.4% from the field and 61.5% from 3. They scored 46 points in the frame – the most by a Warriors opponent in any quarter this year.

Green, ironically on the attack, prevented a full attack. He hit three corner 3s, sparking a 12-3 run.

Doncic continued to create wide-open looks for others while creating his own shot. In the first half alone, he logged 28 points, nine assists and eight boards.

As phenomenal as Doncic was, the Warriors hung around. When Dallas doubled Steph Curry on every ball screen, he and Kevon Looney picked the Mavericks’ defense apart in the short throw. Hield drilled three 3s and Jonathan Kuminga took advantage of the game turning into a court meeting.

After Hield’s third 3 of the second quarter, Mavs coach Jason Kidd called a timeout. Despite shooting the lights out, his team was only up 10.

The Warriors double-team Doncic just as the Mavericks blitzed Curry, forcing it out of his hands. They still needed the best 3-point shooting performance of the year to hang on, and they got that.

Green’s fourth 3 of the game gave Golden State 18 in the first half — a franchise record for any half. Green and Curry knocked down four, while Andrew Wiggins and Hield each hit three.

In the ridiculous offensive environment, the Warriors trailed 81-74 at halftime.

Even with how disastrous the start of the game went, Kerr opted to bring Green off the bench again to begin the second half. Naturally, Dallas crossed the 100-point threshold in five minutes. A crazy Doncic step-back 3 over Wiggins pushed his stat line to a 41-point triple-double.

The Warriors finally got a series of stops at the end of the third quarter for a 9-0 run Kuminga punctuated by a breakaway stop. The Warriors targeted Spencer Dinwiddie in isolation and Lindy Waters III stripped him on defense.

But midway through the fourth, with Curry sitting, the Mavericks made their closing move. Doncic bent in front of the first row after an and-1, then Thompson stuck out his tongue after drilling a 3 from the same spot. Their buckets smothered a brutal turnover from Brandin Podziemski in the corner at the end of the shot clock and gave Dallas a 12-point cushion.

That was the end of Podziemski’s night, and essentially for the Warriors as well. It officially ended with Thompson, the franchise legend in greener pastures, celebrating at midfield and to fanfare outside the visitors’ tunnel.

His former team is spiraling, although reinforcements in the form of Dennis Schroder are on the way.

“Really proud of our guys,” Kerr said. “They continue to fight night and day. We have lost eight out of 10 and there is no stopping. There is some disappointment, but there is no stopping. And we’re going to climb out of this because of the character and competitiveness of our guys.”

Originally published: 15 December 2024 at 19:58 PST