Dallas Mavericks vs Golden State Warriors prediction and combined starting 5 - April 27th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The Golden State Warriors will host the Dallas Mavericks at the Chase Center on Tuesday in a key 2020-21 NBA clash with playoff implications. The Dallas Mavericks are the sixth seed in the Western Conference, while the tenth-placed Golden State Warriors are vying for direct entry in the postseason.
The game will also see an intriguing duel between the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry and the Dallas Mavericks' young superstar Luka Doncic. Both players put on a show when the two teams last met, with Curry putting up 57 points, and Doncic registering 42 in a game the Dallas Mavericks won.
Ahead of their third clash of the season, both teams have split their two previous meetings this campaign.
Dallas Mavericks vs Golden State Warriors Prediction
The Dallas Mavericks, with a 33-27 record, are sixth in the Western Conference, but the 10th-placed Golden State Warriors (31-30) are only 2.5 games behind and on a hot streak.
Stephen Curry's incredible shooting form could give the Golden State Warriors a big advantage in this game. Moreover, with the Dallas Mavericks playing on consecutive nights after a loss to the Sacramento Kings, the Golden State Warriors will fancy their chances of a win.
The previous game between the two teams was a close affair, with the Dallas Mavericks taking a 134-132 win over the Golden State Warriors.
Both the Golden State Warriors and the Dallas Mavericks are not balanced on both sides of the floor, but they have still managed to eke out results with consistency.
The Golden State Warriors are 21st in Offensive Rating, but their defense is elite (seventh-best in Defensive Rating). Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks have a top 10 Offensive Rating, but their defense is only 20th-best (in terms of Defensive Rating).
On that note, let's have a look at a hypothetical combined five of the Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors.
Dallas Mavericks vs Golden State Warriors combined starting 5
Point Guard - Stephen Curry | Shooting Guard - Luka Doncic | Small Forward - Andrew Wiggins | Power Forward - Draymond Green | Center - Kristaps Porzingis.
Stephen Curry has been on a tear in April; the two-time MVP is earning lots of votes for the NBA MVP award, even though he may not be a frontrunner for it.
Curry is leading the league in scoring this season, averaging 31.3 points per game with 48.9% shooting from the field, 42.7% from three and 91.7% from the free-throw mark. Moreover, he is averaging 5.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.
In his last 14 games, Curry is averaging 37.6 points per game with 52/47/89 shooting splits.
Meanwhile, Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic is another MVP candidate. In only his third season in the league, the Slovenian superstar has put up 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists per game. Doncic has also put up 48/36/72 shooting splits throughout the season and has nine triple-doubles this campaign.
Apart from Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green have played well for the Golden State Warriors. Wiggins has provided good offense (18 points per game with 47/38/70 shooting splits), while Green has given the team elite defense (team-leader in Defensive Rating) and great playmaking in offense; Green is tallying a team-high 8.8 assists per game (third-highest in the league).
Meanwhile, in the Dallas Mavericks' frontcourt, Kristaps Porzingis has continued to dazzle despite missing a few games due to injury. Porzingis missed the first nine games of the year and has also missed the last two games of the Mavericks because of an ankle issue. Porzingis' status is 'day to day' for this game.
In 39 games this season, Porzingis has averaged 20 points and nine rebounds per outing, with 47/36/85 shooting splits.
Also Read: Stephen Curry's top 5 games of the 2020-21 NBA season.