Dallas – On Tuesday night, one squad entered American Airlines Center hoping to make it four games in a row. The other only wanted to end their losing skid of four games.
In the end, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson had the Warriors’ final two offensive possessions from beyond the arc. For Steve Kerr, that is his ideal situation each and every time. However, the outcome was a wild 116-113 loss for the Warriors against the Dallas Mavericks, ending their winning streak and the Mavs’ slump.
It would be a stretch to describe any game at the end of November as having a playoff feel. But this matchup between the two groups who competed in the Western Conference Finals last year played up to the anticipation in every way. Curry and Luka Doncic, two of the biggest names, showed up to play. And despite the setback, the Warriors’ bench was able to send them home on a high note.
Owner of the Mavs Mark Cuban went down the tunnel grinning ear to ear and exclaimed, “We needed that one.
Depending on your preference, The Proclaimers or Vanessa Carlton would have to be the music for this matchup of Western Conference rivals. “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” or “1,000 Miles” should be played. whatever suits you the most.
The point is that the referees chose a terrible moment to call one of the game’s greatest stars for travelling when the NBA suddenly concerns about it. With 10.1 seconds left and the Warriors down 115-113, Curry was penalised for travelling after what seemed to be a two-foot halt followed by repositioning his pivot foot.
Curry accepted responsibility for what he felt was the incorrect move at the moment, even though he didn’t precisely agree with the choice.
Curry remarked, “Bang, bang scenario,” following the defeat. “Stupid move on my part to pass up the layup. To be honest, I was a little uncertain of the time and the result. attempted the hero shot.
I didn’t believe it to be a travel where you don’t let the play end. Who am I to say, though? Tuesday night saw a total of 10 travels called. Three were on the Mavs and seven were against the Warriors.
Even though this is a recent development, the Warriors are not especially surprised by it. They’ve recently been on the wrong side of a few calls involving travel. Kerr only seeks consistency.
Kerr remarked, “Calls are calls. Some things go your way, others don’t. I assume the NBA is emphasising plays like that. Since I didn’t watch it, I don’t know if it was a journey or not. It will be quite intriguing to see.
Because it occurs 30 times every game, if we’re going to call that immediately, we must call it constantly. Men switch their pivot foot. Therefore, I’m thrilled that officials will stress it, but you have to stick to it.
Then, with 4.1 seconds left, Thompson’s attempt was unsuccessful.
Following screens provided by Curry and Jordan Poole, Klay arrived at the left wing’s backboard with plenty of space to work with. Kerr’s call for the play was flawless. That is, up until Thompson’s fingertips let go of the ball.
It almost missed, capping a difficult night for the sniper and a back-and-forth battle in Dallas. Curry scored 32 points for Golden State, his 13th 30-point performance of the year. The only starter to score more than Draymond Green’s 12 points was the other. Together, Andrew Wiggins (10) and Thompson (5) scored 15 points. They both had a 1-for-6 long-range shooting total.
Doncic persisted in torturing the Warriors, finishing with a triple-double of 41 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists.
The Warriors’ bench turned the tide, fighting their way back after the starters unexpectedly fell behind by a significant margin in the first quarter. The second unit has been a source of anxiety for supporters, coaches, and teammates alike during the whole season.
This time, it was the opposite. Before Curry’s comeback in the second quarter, they outscored the Mavericks by eight points, and before it was time for him to return for the fourth quarter’s closing stretch, they outscored them by two points.
With what Kerr referred to be his greatest game as a Warrior, Jonathan Kuminga took the initiative. The 20-year-old played 26 minutes off the bench, recording his third career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. His plus/minus rating was a team-high plus-21.
Donte DiVincenzo was all over the floor and repeatedly put his body on the line. He finished with a final line of plus-15 with six points, a season-high seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Poole only had nine points, but he also had nine assists, played actively the whole game on defence, and he had a plus-14 rating. Anthony Lamb provided a significant spark to start the second quarter and was relied upon at crucial moments. He scored 11 points, swished two 3-pointers, grabbed five rebounds, had one assist, and one steal while going plus-13.
The only reserve player without a positive plus/minus was JaMychal Green. In eight minutes, the seasoned big man had a minus-2 rating.
After 22 games, the second unit is starting to take shape. Both Kerr and Draymond, who is now assisting in leading that group to begin the second and fourth quarters, are quite pleased with that growth.
When asked what the difference has been recently between the bench and second unit, Green responded, “I simply believe it’s a different level of comfort. “Given the degree of certainty, with that degree of comfort. You’re becoming more acclimated to playing with those folks because you know what’s coming, who you’re playing with, and what to expect.
“I consider it enormous. They now feel more certain. The second group’s confidence had been slipping a little, but it has since returned. It’s excellent, then. You can review the positives and negatives tonight. While the first unit was negative, the entire second unit was essentially positive. We were unable to say that two weeks ago.
“Two weeks ago, we were unable to approach that. It’s encouraging to watch these players progress and make progress because, in the end, it will help us win games this season. But more significantly, it enables men to get the correct rest so that you don’t exert yourself excessively in Game 22. It is lovely to view.”
