Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. And they did it again tonight, as the Mavericks defeated the Warriors 104-100 on Tuesday night in San Francisco to end a seven-game winning streak.
It was something of a missed opportunity for Dallas, as the Los Angeles Clippers, who were previously sitting as the No. 4 seed, lost to the Kings earlier in the night. So, while Dallas didn't lose, this loss significantly reduced their chances of grabbing home court.
This game marked the end of a five-game road trip, so I hope we can go home and stay in bed for the next three games and help our team recharge a little bit and close out the season with another winning streak.
fit and launch
No matter how bad Dallas looked in this game, even during the sloppy play of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, they showed how powerful they can be when their hats drop. (The pair had a combined nine turnovers in this game, many of them early.)
Still, Dallas went on a 19-0 run from the end of the second quarter to the third, erasing the Warriors' 13-point lead. In the third, Dallas went on a 7-0 run to take a seven-point lead.
But Golden State had an answer for every push by Dallas. It was a good game that ended with a few possessions, but Dallas didn't seem to have the offensive staying power to take a lead and maintain it. Every run was followed by a lull where the Warriors undid all the good work Dara was able to accomplish.
clutch is cold
Dallas has been the best clutch team in the NBA this season, and with the score reaching 92 points with 4:28 left, it looked as if the Mavericks had the Warriors where they wanted them. But what happened next was a three-and-a-half minute scoring drought that allowed Golden State to build an eight-point cushion and Dallas didn't have enough time to chip away at it.
bench beatdown
Just when it looked like Dallas had finally found a reliable rotation, they found themselves without Derek Lively, a key part of the bench and continuity at the center spot. Dwight Powell scored a run and Maxi Kleber soaked up time in the fifth, but there wasn't enough punch to lob Lively and his huge wingspan. Golden State's bench outscored Dallas' bench 39-13, the most lopsided of the game.
Lively's absence was also seen tonight, as the three-guard unit of Tim Hardaway Jr., Kyrie Irving, and Jaden Hardy was on the floor to end the third quarter (and give up a point to the Warriors). That may have contributed to some unstable lineups. )
Also, in a game this close, it's heartbreaking to lose by four points and see Dallas miss four free throws. Dallas was 7-for-11, which wasn't bad, but it wasn't perfect. That was the Warriors' record tonight, 7 for 7.
