The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Golden State Warriors for the second time in five days, beating 122-113 at home. Luka Doncic leads the Mavericks with 41 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Steph Curry was the best man for Golden State at 21.
Dallas reached an early lead for the Warriors as Golden State struggled off the field. Led by 19 points from the first quarter of Doncic, the Mavericks maintained a solid lead over the Warriors throughout the period. After 12 minutes, Dallas led 38-27. The Mavericks hit the Warriors for most of the second, led from the bench in the first half of the quarter, and finished with Spencer Dinuidi and Doncic, who connected in deep threes. At halftime, the Mavericks led 68-54.
An early run, powered by Clay Thompson, quickly brought the Warriors back into the game. Eventually, the Mavericks settled in and again extended their lead to double digits. However, the hot shot for the Warriors kept things within range and Golden State fell behind 99-91, moving to the last frame. Rookie Moses Moody helped the Warriors get back to fourth place, tying the game at 104 with 6:28 left. The Dallas attack (and to some extent their defense) finally awoke through Spencer Dinuidi and the Mavericks continued 18-9 to close the game. Dallas left with a victory with 122-113.
Now think a little …
Strike and counterattack
There is resilience in these Dallas Mavericks. When we looked at the schedule after the All Star break, a pessimist (see: Henderson, Kirk) may have seen the team struggling to win one game, given the teams (Jazz, Warriors, Lakers) and the division of the home road (three Rowdy, a game at home). Yet this current iteration of Dallas has a superiority for them that is difficult to define. He is currently best exposed by the new Maverick Spencer Dinuidi, a man who plays with heavenly confidence combined with a remarkable level of patience. He fits, he is calm and that means winning games.
When things went awry in the fourth with the clock reset for missed shots and rookie Moses Moody steered Mavericks triples to tie the score at 104, it looked like Dallas’ recent luck might have dried up. But it doesn’t seem to be luck; rather, it’s toughness and skill and Doncic and Dinuidi led the Mavericks in one of the best final series this season. Who can say what lies ahead, but for now it seems that the sky is the limit.
Dwight Powell is very tough
There is not much to say here, except the fact that Powell is a ruthless player with a lot of courage. The knot he has on his head is the one that can get a lot of players to the end of the game. His desire to give up his body at night is one of the many reasons why the Mavericks love him. Some nights he drove us crazy, but he was so good this year and deserves our gratitude, especially on the night of 13 points and 8 rebounds, which included great finishes.
Doubling Steph Curry
The doubles teams sent from Dallas on Curry’s path seemed VERY familiar to all Maverick fans. The traps near half the court are what Luka Doncic sees every night, and for at least one night, the league’s top scorer just couldn’t break free. The Dallas team’s defense against Curry was breathtaking. And while various other Warriors have carved out Dallas, maintaining the league’s two-time MVP of up to 21 points on 15 hits is truly impressive.
Dorian Feeney-Smith and the measure of trust
Watching Dorian Feeney-Smith develop into a player who strikes and then drains three corners in front of the opposing team’s bench was a truly wild experience. After watching almost all of Feeney Smith’s games, including many NBA summer leagues, I just didn’t think he would ever become a functional rotating player, let alone a starter.
And he is much more than a starter. He is a reliable shooter, a staunch defender and in the attack of Jason Kidd, from time to time plays a player. This is the player that Rick Carlisle insisted should be in the top 15. This current iteration of an undefeated player is nothing but spectacular and, like previous seasons, how he plays can determine where the Mavericks are going. This time it may be different, because we all have to believe in Dorian Feeney-Smith.
Here is our latest episode of Mavs Moneyball After Dark. If you can’t see the embedding below, click here to be taken directly to the podcast. Or go to your favorite podcast app and search for Mavs Moneyball Podcast.