To Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, the Dallas Mavericks looked like a team in the playoffs, while the Warriors remained stuck in an exhibition game.
The Mavericks’ Luka Doncic on Tuesday scored 39 points as short-handed Dallas jumped on Golden State from the start to thump the Warriors 133-103.
“Biggest game of the year and it was over before it started,” said Kerr, whose team trailed by as many as 43 points.
Photo: AP
The Warriors’ Stephen Curry scored 27 points, with five more three-pointers, extending his NBA record for three-pointers in one month to 90 for this month.
On Sunday, Curry passed James Harden’s record of 82 set in November 2019.
“Chasing Steph Curry around has got to be the hardest job in all of basketball — pro, college, international, you name it,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “The guy has been on just a tear over the last month. Trey Burke rose to the challenge; he just chased him all over the place and we had plenty of help.”
Tim Hardaway Jr added 13 points and seven rebounds off the bench, as the Mavericks got 60 points from their reserves a night after losing 113-106 in Sacramento, California.
Just when the Warriors were determined to gain some momentum for the important stretch run, they delivered a dud and had their four-game home winning streak snapped.
“It was the perfect storm of everything going wrong tonight,” Curry told reporters.
Golden State did not defend the perimeter, where the Mavericks shot 18 of 35 on three-pointers.
The Warriors had a shooting drought in the first and second quarters that led to a 47-16 hole.
“I’m not concerned about the scoring drought. I’m concerned about defense. I’m concerned about a level of intensity and preparation and competitiveness,” Kerr said. “That’s what was missing. I’m the head coach. I did not have them ready to play, clearly.”
Doncic shot 15 for 23 and added eight assists and six rebounds.
The Mavericks have won seven of nine against the Warriors and four in a row on Golden State’s home floor.
The Mavericks made nine of their initial 15 shots to go ahead 25-12 and force a Golden State timeout at the 4:58 mark of the first quarter.
“It was the complete opposite from yesterday. It was crazy,” Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber said. “They couldn’t make any shots... I don’t even know how to describe it. We just went with the flow.”
The Mavericks’ J.J. Redick played seven minutes, even though he had soreness in his right heel.
Boban Marjanovic was ejected with 2:39 left for a flagrant-two foul, raising his arms in the air at the crowd as he disappeared down the tunnel.
Also on Tuesday, it was:
‧ Nets 116, Raptors 103
‧ Bucks 114, Hornets 104
‧ Trail Blazers 133, Pacers 112
‧ Thunder 119, Celtics 115
‧ Timberwolves 114, Rockets 107
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‘REMARKABLE’: Gaelic football is a traditional Irish sport that blends the skills of soccer and rugby, and hurling is an ancient sport played with a wooden stick and ‘sliotar’ The Taiwan Celts Gaelic Football Club marked a milestone achievement at the Asian Gaelic Games in Bangkok on Nov. 23 and 24, with two sides advancing to the knockout stages and competing at hurling for the first time. The event brought together 68 teams from 16 clubs across Asia, with more than 800 players in men’s and women’s tournaments. Gaelic football is a traditional Irish team sport that blends the skills of soccer, rugby union and basketball. Hurling is an ancient Irish sport played with a wooden stick, called a hurley, and a small ball, or sliotar. The Taiwan Celts’ women’s team reached
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