NBA 2018-19: Golden State Warriors at Dallas Mavericks: 3 Talking Points
Final Score: Mavericks defeat Warriors, 112-109
Two nights after losing to the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center, the Warriors were up against the Dallas Mavericks for their second game of a three-game road trip. On the other hand, the Mavericks were on a three-game winning streak and were looking to extend it to four by defending the home court.
The Warriors entered this game short-handed without the unanimous MVP Stephen Curry who is yet to recover from a left groin strain and the All-Star Power forward, Draymond Green who is out with sprained toe.
Golden State were leading Dallas after the end of three quarters by 4 points. However, in the fourth quarter, Luka Doncic and DeAndre Jordan's exploits saw the Mavericks defeat Warriors. Let us take a look at three talking points from this matchup at the American Airlines Center:
#3 Kevin Durant's 32 points performance
Stat line: 32 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and a block on 45.8 per cent shooting
Kevin Durant's red-hot form continued as he scored 32 points on the night against the Dallas Mavericks. Two nights after scoring 20 points against the Rockets in a loss, Durant was spectacular once again as he scored over the defenders with ease.
Durant started the proceedings with a vicious slam in the first quarter, before following it up with a mid-range jumper. In the second quarter, with the Warriors up by 4 points, he knocked down yet another mid-range jumper to push the lead to 6 points.
Durant went 11-for-24 from the field, with a field-goal percentage of 45.8. However, he struggled from the long range and went 0-for-4 from downtown. Durant was dominant in the paint and went 10-for-11 from the free-throw line. Despite the two-time finals MVP's hot-night, the Warriors could not get the win.