Warriors Dominate Turnover-Plagued Mavericks in Jimmy Butler's Home Debut: 'They Really Took It to Us'
Warriors crush Mavericks 126-102 in Butler's home debut, exploiting Dallas' turnovers. "They really took it to us," says Irving.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Dallas Mavericks (31-27) sought to continue their momentum entering Sunday’s early afternoon matchup against the Golden State Warriors (30-27). Entering with five wins over their last six games, the Mavericks were defeated 126-102 in a game they mostly played from behind.
The Mavericks continue to play without Anthony Davis (left adductor strain), Dereck Lively II (right ankle stress fracture), Daniel Gafford (right knee sprain), Dwight Powell (right hip strain), and Caleb Martin (right hip sprain). As for Golden State, Jonathan Kuminga remained out with a sprained ankle, while Trayce Jackson-Davis was downgraded to out due to illness.
Before the NBA All-Star break, the Mavericks hosted the Warriors and achieved a 111-107 victory. Kyrie Irving scored an efficient 42 points to set the tone, while Klay Thompson and Max Christie added 17 points, along with Brandon Williams and Naji Marshall combining for another 22. Dallas won this game despite P.J. Washington being sidelined in addition to the team’s four centers signed to standard deals.
Dallas could not replicate this success, and turnovers were a critical factor. After turning the ball over 18 times, which resulted in 30 points for the Warriors, the Mavericks outscored them by 20 in this category. Golden State was swarming defensively with aggressive ball pressure, dialing up double teams on Irving and players who held mismatches, particularly in the post. Running certain players off the line while protecting the paint led to awkward sequences and turnovers.
“It was uncharacteristic. For us, we do a fairly good job taking care of the basketball,” Irving said. “A few rotations on their end the Warriors were making, put us in some tough spots. You’ve got to give them credit, they were pressuring the basketball. Picking us up above the three-point line, forcing me into double teams, triple teams, and just making other guys make shots, and when you try to make plays sometimes turnovers are going to happen. But we’ve got to take care of the ball, especially when we’re on their home floor, first road game after the All-Star break.”
This time, Irving was held to 17 points on 7 of 18 shooting from the floor and went 1 of 6 from deep. Washington scored 17, but there wasn’t enough offensive firepower to combat the Warriors. Without Davis on the floor to command defensive attention, Irving is being doubled, and it’s more difficult for him to create advantages. In the past, Luka Dončić was the tone-setter who commanded this pressure, making the game easier for Irving to operate in the half-court and push on the break.
"Just continue to move the ball and just pacing to the next action,” Washington said regarding games Irving doesn’t have a big night. “I think when we're giving Kai the ball, obviously teams are loading up on him, and then it takes a little bit of time for us to get him the ball, so it just kinda eats up the shot clock, and then it will result in five or six seconds of iso play. I think if we move the ball and just get him in different positions, it's going to be harder for teams to guard him."
Stephen Curry set the tone with an efficient 30 points and 7 assists. Golden State’s entire starting lineup scored in double figures, while Jimmy Butler III added 18 points and 5 assists in his first home game as a member of the Warriors. Brandin Podziemski chipped in 17 points and 13 rebounds, with Draymond Green totaling 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Both teams often deployed small ball lineups, with Draymond Green starting at center for the Warriors while Kessler Edwards continued to play the five for Dallas. With Butler in the mix to enhance the Warriors on both ends, Golden State was too effective going small while receiving a jolt from 7-foot rookie Quinten Post, who provided relief for Green by playing 18 minutes at the five.
The Mavericks gained the initial momentum, jumping out to an early 9-4 lead. Danté Exum scored in the paint, Washington drilled a three, and Edwards made consecutive scoring plays inside. Golden State called a timeout at the 9:45 mark to get back on track, and saying they did would be an understatement.
It took the Mavericks 5:35 of gameplay to score again, as the Warriors tightened up defensively while sparking momentum offensively. Draymond Green anchored the Warriors' defense, making it challenging for Dallas to operate in the half-court. Dallas tried to work the ball in the post to Washington but could not create advantages, as Golden State fronted on entry passes and scrambled when needed.
"They got out in transition, made threes, got offensive rebounds. We turned the ball over a lot,” Washington said. “A lot of things we could've done better to get a win, but credit to them. They made shots tonight, and they played like they wanted to win."
The Warriors also found a rhythm offensively, and their run extended to 16-0, which gave Golden State the momentum. The team never looked back. Curry capped off this sequence after he crossed up Olivier-Maxence Prosper and sank a step-back three. He then took contact on a drive and used the glass for an and-one. Golden State led 20-9, entering a timeout with 4:59 remaining in the first quarter.
“Just high-level basketball took place. Possessions were a little empty for us, and they got out in transition,” Irving said. “Anytime you give this team a lot of points in transition, they had 18 fast break points going into halftime, they’re really confident in the rhythm of their offense. I felt like they just carried over in the second half. So once they got the lead, they never looked back, what good teams do.”
Naji Marshall ended the Mavericks’ scoring drought by finishing in transition, but it didn’t lead to a momentum swing. Max Christie and Marshall made shots from beyond the arc to cut it to 22-16, but this was the best Dallas would do for the remainder of the game. Podziemski led the Warriors to a quick 8-0 run that was capped off by Butler making two free throws after Gui Santos made a transition layup. Golden State led 33-18 at the end of the first quarter and ultimately led by double figures for the remainder of the game.
With frustrations rising and execution not improving, the Mavericks allowed the game to slip out of reach in the second quarter. Down by 15, Thompson was called for a technical after complaining to the refs, giving Thompson a free throw, then leading to Post making a catch-and-shoot three. Suddenly, Golden State was up by 19.
The Warriors were rolling at this point. A broken play with both teams fighting for a loose ball after trying to secure a rebound led to Butler finding a cutting Post for an emphatic dunk over two defenders. Golden State was up 41-20, prompting the Mavericks to call a timeout with 8:58 left before the half.
The closest the Mavericks came was trailing 43-30 using a 10-2 run that was capped off by a deep catch-and-shoot three from Irving. Dallas even trailed by 13 numerous times as both teams traded scoring plays. However, the Mavericks’ failure to get defensive stops became too much to overcome.
Golden State rattled off another run. First, Green attacked the rim and got to the free throw line—making both. Butler finished at the rim after Marshall missed a three. Washington turned it over, leading to a Golden State fastbreak opportunity. The Warriors went up by 20 after Buddy Hield was left completely wide open in the corner. Butler followed that sequence by getting into the paint for an and-one floater after Washington reached—giving the Warriors a 23-point lead with under two minutes remaining before the break.
“Feel like they gave us their best shot in the effort-statistical categories,” Irving said. “They pretty much dominated, came out with a verve, came out with a focus. They really took it to us.”
Coming out of halftime, the Mavericks needed to recalibrate and go on a run to give themselves any chance of rallying back. Instead, the Warriors scored 39 points in the third quarter, with Curry accounting for 16. He was on the type of flurry that stifled any momentum that Dallas tried to generate, often getting in the paint for a floater, finger roll, or regular finish.
“Well, he’s one of the best players in the world, and he got going this afternoon behind the arc and also getting to the basket,” Kidd said of Curry. “I thought early on we were doing a good job, but once you relax on him, he’s gonna get the better of you, and he did that this afternoon.”
During the Warriors' hot third quarter, Curry had a sequence with two threes later that period, including a step-back over Washington. This resulted in a “Night Night” celebration in response to Washington's doing it while walking off the court in the last matchup between these two teams.
Trailing 100-75 entering the final period, it didn’t take long for the Mavericks to pull the plug on this game. With 8:29 left, Irving, Thompson, and Christie checked out for the final team, with Dallas down 111-82.
Christie’s streak of scoring 15 or more points in seven straight games to begin his Mavericks tenure ended. He was held to two points while shooting 1 of 5 from the floor in 22 minutes. Thompson averaged 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in his first three matchups against Golden State but was held to 11 points, two rebounds, and two assists while shooting only eight times.
Golden State improved to 5-1 since Butler debuted with the team after the blockbuster trade ended his Miami Heat tenure. He’s averaging 20.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists since joining Golden State, bringing needed life to a team with high expectations. The eighth-ranked Mavericks now only hold a half-game lead over the Warriors in the Western Conference standings, with the season series tied 2-2.
On Tuesday, the Mavericks will face Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. CST.
“Outside of just the obvious of us being in LA and (the Mavs) being a former team of Luka’s, obviously the narrative is already written,” Irving said about facing Dončić. “I don’t know what else I can really add to that. I’m pretty much focused and telling my guys just to focus on a high-level game that we got to win.”
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