The 2024 edition of the NBA Cup starts this Wednesday with an intriguing battle between the Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors. The no. 1 narrative for this contest is clear as day, and it’s the return of Klay Thompson to the Bay Area, but in a different uniform, as he now plays for the Mavs. Will the Mavericks stun Golden State? Or, will the Warriors add to Dallas’ woes?

Catch this game live on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 11 AM, Manila time

Away: Dallas Mavericks (5-5/1-2 Away)

Projected Starting Five:

• Luka Doncic (Probable)
• Kyrie Irving
• Klay Thompson
• Maxi Kleber
• Daniel Gafford

The Mavericks are in need of a boost, as they look to prevent a three-game skid. Speaking of which, Dallas got a big lift from Kyrie Irving in their last game but the star point guard’s offensive explosion was not enough to overcome Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in a 122-120 loss in Mile High City last Monday. In that contest, Irving exploded for 43 points on 17/22 shooting from the floor. Before that, Dallas suffered a 114-113 loss at home to the Phoenix Suns last Saturday. 

While they are 0-2 in their last two games, the Mavs have lost by just a total of three points in that contest. Perhaps the Mavs will have a little more luck this Wednesday. Luka Doncic is listed as probable at the time of this writing, but the expectation is that he will be ready to go against the Warriors. Also ready to see action is Klay Thompson, of course, as he will be looking to make a statement in his old stomping grounds regardless of how he tries to downplay the significance of this contest. As a team, the Mavericks, who are averaging 114.1 points this season, are 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 regular-season games in the Bay Area.

Home: Golden State Warriors (8-2/2-1 Home)

Projected Starting Five:

• Stephen Curry
• De’Anthony Melton
• Andrew Wiggins (Questionable )
• Draymond Green
• Trayce Jackson-Davis

There will be nostalgia in the building for Golden State this Wednesday, with Thompson returning to Chase Center. The reality, however, is that the Warriors are doing just fine in the post-Klay era. The Dubs are coming off a successful road trip in which they went 4-1. The only loss in that stretch happened in The Land against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who may not lose ever again. During that road trip, the Warriors beat the Boston Celtics and just last Monday, the Oklahoma City Thunder, 127-16. The ageless play of Stephen Curry continues to power the Warriors. 

Curry is averaging 22.0 points per game and has just dropped 36 points on the Thunder. Another key reason for the Warriors’ stellar start is Buddy Hield, who is averaging 18.0 points on 50.0 percent shooting from the field while knocking down 48.8 percent of his attempts from behind the arc. Even without Thompson, the Warriors remain deadly from the perimeter as a team, as they are fourth in the league with a 39.5 percent success rate on 3-point shots and also fourth overall with a 56.7 effective field goal percentage. Golden State enters the Mavs game with a 2-0 ATS slate in their last two outings as the home team.

Picks

Spread: Golden State Warriors (-3.0)

Over/Under: Under (232.0)