Things looked like they were going great for the Golden State Warriors. With 9:59 left in the game, Damion Lee made a layup that pushed their lead to 93-79, and it seemed like they had full control of the game.
Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks had other ideas, though. They roared back to life with a 33-8 run to close out the game and leave San Francisco with an astounding 107-101 victory, which will leave the Warriors shellshocked heading into an eight-day road trip. It was a great show of spirit from the Mavericks, and they took full advantage of a Golden State team that suddenly couldn’t buy a bucket.
Doncic, of course, was the focal point in their big win as he finished with 34 pounds and 11 rebounds. It was a good way to end his final game before turning 23 years old. He got a lot help from new teammate Spencer Dinwiddie, who ended the game with 24 points, four rebounds and five assists. The former Washington Wizards player was pivotal in that big run in the fourth quarter, where he contributed 10 points and two assists. Doncic built on that strong performance by scoring seven points in the final 1:09 of the game to close things out.
On the opposing side, Steph Curry led the way with 27 points and 10 assists, but he also had trouble knocking down his shot in the final stanza.
After this game, everyone in Dallas probably has the same mood as Michael Jordan last week.
This loss will particularly hurt for the Warriors because they had a chance to cut into the Phoenix Suns’ lead at the top of the standings. The Suns, who lost at home to the Jazz earlier in the day, have dropped two in a row. They’ll be without Chris Paul for a while, and now should be the time for the Warriors to seize the chance to overtake them. The Memphis Grizzlies are also nipping at their heels in the standings, so every loss counts.
The Dubs will pick themselves up after this loss, but it’s going to sting for a while. They may take it out the frustration on the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are their next opponent.
