Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors: Postgame Grades and Analysis
The Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks entered Wednesday night with the first- and second-ranked offenses in the league, respectively. Going head-to-head, the result was a high-scoring, 128-114 showdown that ended in Golden State's favor.
The Warriors began slow as Dallas exploded out of the gate with a 42-25 lead after the first quarter. However, the Mavericks slowly collapsed as Stephen Curry paced Golden State with 51 points, and the Warriors fought back to within four by the end of the half, eventually grabbing the lead in the third quarter and never relenting.
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The loss snaps a three-game win streak for Dallas, which was without Rajon Rondo. The Warriors, meanwhile, are now on a three-game win streak of their own as they maintain their claim to the league's best record.
| Dirk Nowitzki | D |
| Monta Ellis | C |
| Chandler Parsons | B+ |
| Tyson Chandler | A |
| Rest of Team | D- |
| Stephen Curry | A+ |
| Klay Thompson | B+ |
| Marreese Speights | B+ |
| Harrison Barnes | B+ |
| Rest of Team | B- |
Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry: A+
Curry may have started the game cold, missing his first three shots, though he recovered in time to score 11 straight points for Golden State to avoid being completely blown out in the opening quarter.
After playing a minor role as the Warriors made their second-quarter run, he exploded in the third as they captured their first lead of the night. Putting on a shooting show, the All-Star starter scored 26 points in the third period behind an electrifying performance from three-point land.
He finished the night with 51 points on 16-of-26 shooting, going 10-for-16 from downtown. The rest of the squad followed his lead from the game's start, which—though a negative thing out of the gate—ultimately resulted in a stellar team-wide effort.
Klay Thompson: B+
Curry was the man behind Golden State's big third-quarter run, make no mistake about that. However, Klay Thompson contributed his fair share—especially from beyond the arc.
Scoring seven points in the key period and 18 overall, the second Splash Bro rode the momentum wave, finishing the night with a solid offensive performance after the opening-period lull passed.
His efficiency numbers—7-of-17 from the floor and 4-of-10 from deep—were spoiled by his slow start and finish, but he managed to come alive when the team needed him most.
Though his scoring was his most critical contribution, his five assists were also instrumental in sparking the dynamic offense that carried the Warriors to the eventual victory.
Marreese Speights: B+
If you're looking for the under-the-radar reason behind Golden State's second-quarter awakening, look no further than Marreese Speights. Though Curry and the starting five began to turn the tide before the end of the first period, Speights entered off the bench as an offensive spark, posting eight points and giving the Warriors help on the glass after seeing them struggle mightily to rebound.
Though the climax of his production came in that stretch, Speights finished with 14 points and six rebounds as he played a crucial role off the bench.
While Golden State's stars will be praised for the third-quarter scoring onslaught, it's possible that it never would have happened had Speights not helped in slicing down the lead in the first place.
Harrison Barnes: B+
Though the above three players were the Warriors' biggest contributors in the comeback victory, Harrison Barnes was a more-than-effective role player, playing his part both in the deficit-slicing and lead-maintaining processes.
He ended the night with a respectable 12 points (4-of-5 shooting), six rebounds and three assists—though he did finish with a plus/minus of just plus-three, contrasting with the plus-22 mark of his primary substitute, Andre Iguodala, who had an otherwise far less efficient game. However, Barnes did play the bulk of his minutes against Dallas' starters and was present during the Warriors' opening-quarter struggles.
Of course, in the end, neither will receive much recognition for their behind-the-scenes contributions that helped ignite Golden State. Still, the duo made an impact, with Barnes especially serving as an important secondary piece.
Rest of Team: B-
As mentioned, Iguodala did all of the small things off the bench, grabbing seven boards and dishing out five assists as he posted a team-high plus-22.
Also off the bench, Leandro Barbosa was crucial in cutting down the lead. He posted 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
However, the other role players made minimal impacts. In the starting lineup, Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut combined for 18 rebounds, with Green's defense the primary factor behind Dirk Nowitzki's struggles. Neither, though, made an impact on the offensive end.
Dallas Mavericks
Even when Dallas was hot, Nowitzki was evidently off his game. Finishing with a mere 15 points, the veteran superstar couldn't keep up with his teammates in the opening period or his opponents in the subsequent ones.
Nowitzki struggled with his shot, shooting just 4-of-15 on the night. He's often relied upon as a stabilizer when the Mavs offense teeters, but he was a no-show on the offensive end—especially when his services were most needed.
He was even more ineffective on the glass, logging just three boards as the Warriors out-rebounded Dallas despite a monster night from Tyson Chandler. Though blame can hardly fall upon one player's shoulders, Nowitzki was definitely his team's most disappointing player.
Monta Ellis: C
Perhaps more so than any other Maverick, Monta Ellis' production seemed to oscillate with the Mavericks' overall play.
He was one of many driving forces behind Dallas' 42-point opening quarter but was subsequently quiet as the lead dwindled down, finishing with 14 points on 7-of-19 shooting.
Scoring just six points after the stellar start, he joined Nowitzki as a team leader who couldn't stabilize Dallas during its collapse.
Chandler Parsons: B+
Arguably Dallas' most important player in the first half, Chandler Parsons succeeded not only in posting a well-rounded stat line before the break—11 points, three assists, three rebounds and two steals—but also in setting a game pace that allowed the Mavericks to come out of the gate strong.
Infiltrating passing lanes and providing excellent on-ball pressure, Parsons' defense was certainly a prime reason behind the Mavs' early lead.
He continued to play well throughout the remainder of the contest, finishing with a team-high 24 points while shooting 50 percent from the floor. Though the Mavs' collective effort deteriorated as the game carried on, Parsons continued to play hard and can hardly be faulted for the loss.
Tyson Chandler: A
Two-and-a-half minutes into the game, Tyson Chandler had already logged six rebounds. Six!
Though he continued to do the under-the-radar things for the remainder of the contest, the result was an incredible stat line: 21 points on an 8-of-9 shooting clip along with 17 boards.
Golden State's offensive spark came from downtown, so Chandler's defense can hardly come under scrutiny. Similarly, he remained the team's lone productive rebounder and can in no way shoulder blame for the discrepancy on the glass.
Chandler was efficient, doing what he does best even if his teammates fell into a funk around him. Though his effort may have been wasted, he remains a nightly notable and a silver lining in the disappointing Dallas collapse.
Rest of Team: D-
With Al-Farouq Aminu having posted nine points in the opening quarter, it seemed as though the Mavs bench was on its way to a solid game.
However, that wasn't the case. Aminu scored just three more points, and the rest of the bench shot 5-of-17 in the losing effort.
In the starting lineup, J.J. Barea filled in for the injured Rajon Rondo with 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting. However, it was his defense—or, rather, lack thereof—that ultimately hurt Dallas the most.
Up Next
Golden State gets one day of rest before launching a four-game road trip with an interconference matchup with the Atlanta Hawks. Facing the East's top team—and the team that briefly unseated the Warriors as the league's top team—Curry and Co. will begin another back-to-back with their third game in four nights.
The Hawks have established themselves as one of the best teams in the Association, having recently gone on a franchise-best 19-game win streak while seeing three of their starters named to the All-Star Game. Though their run of unspoiled success came to an end on Monday, they'll enter Friday's contest looking to streak again after downing the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
Dallas, meanwhile, has an easier road ahead. With the Golden State contest serving as the opening half of a back-to-back, the Mavericks will next travel to Sacramento, where they'll take on the lowly Kings, who have lost nine of their last 10 games—including a 25-point blowout at the hands of Golden State.
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