The Dallas Mavericks hit the road to face the Golden State Warriors after a 118-104 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the quarterfinal of the 2024 NBA Cup on Tuesday. The game was the Mavericks’ 13th road game out of their last 17 games and ninth of their last 11. Dallas and Golden State last played on November 12. Stephen Curry spoiled Klay Thompson’s return to the Bay Area with 37 points, including the Warriors’ final 12, in a 120-117 win.
The Mavericks defeated the Warriors 143-133 at the Chase Center in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood on Sunday. Dallas improved to 17-9, while Golden State fell to 14-11. Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 45 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists to become the eighth player in NBA history with multiple career 45-point triple-doubles.
Klay Thompson followed up with 29 points, five rebounds, and four assists, with a season-high seven three-pointers. Kyrie Irving added 21 points, three rebounds, and eight assists. Quentin Grimes had 14 points and two rebounds. PJ Washington Jr. scored 13 points, four rebounds, and one assist.
Dallas Mavericks-Golden State Warriors Recap
The Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors game was action-packed from start to finish. The Mavericks’ injury report ruled out Dante Exum, Jaden Hardy, Maxi Kleber, Naji Marshall, and Brandon Marshall. Exum was out with right wrist surgery, Hardy with a right ankle sprain, Kleber with an illness and a rib fracture, Marshall with an illness, and Williams with a right thumb sprain, respectively.
The Warriors listed Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, De’Anthony Melton, Moses Moody, and Gui Santos on their injury report. Melton and Moody were ruled out with a left ACL surgery and a left knee patellar tendinopathy, respectively. Curry, Wiggins, and Santos were listed as questionable with right cervical facet inflammation, right adductor tightness, and a G League assignment, individually.
The Mavericks entered the road game on a positive note, having wished CEO Cynt Marshall a Happy Birthday on X, formerly Twitter, just hours before tip-off. Marshall, who will retire as the Mavericks CEO on December 31, 2024, turned 65 on Sunday. The Mavericks’ starting lineup consisted of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington Jr., and Dereck Lively II.
The first quarter was a high-scoring affair in favor of the Mavericks. The Mavericks’ first-quarter scoring plays included Klay Thompson’s early three-pointer. The Mavericks led 46-33 at the end of the first. The Mavericks’ scoring plays continued in the second quarter, as Olivier-Maxence Prospet’s three-point shot was right on target. The Mavericks carried an 81-74 lead to the locker room at halftime.
The third quarter saw the Warriors pick up the pace in scoring, but the Mavericks survived Golden State’s increased speed. Luka Doncic hit a deep three-pointer to achieve a triple-double of a season-high 41 points, along with 10 assists and 10 rebounds. The Mavericks held a 114-107 lead through three quarters. The Mavericks’ dominance continued in the fourth quarter, as Thompson hit three-pointers, Kyrie Irving netted big buckets, and the like. The Mavericks won 143-133 in regulation.
Game’s Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors game featured multiple highlights, such as the Mavericks and ShiftKey’s special visit to Children’s Medical Center Dallas to spread holiday cheer in the Season of Giving. Mascot Champ tossed on his festive sweater assembled the Mavs ManiAACs and D-Town Crew and called in a favor from Santa Claus himself to ensure the young patients at Children’s Health experienced holiday magic during the Mavericks’ visit on Monday, December 9.
Former Mavericks guard Raymond Felton suggested that the team should go after Paul George during the 2025 NBA offseason. George, 34, signed with the Philadelphia 76ers after a five-year tenure with the Los Angeles Clippers. If the team decides to revisit George’s situation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they’d receive George and Andre Drummond in exchange for Maxi Kleber, Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford, Quentin Grimes, Jaden Hardy, and a 2025 first-round pick.
For the Warriors, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst appeared on the December 11 episode of “Get Up” and said the Warriors reportedly dreamed of pairing LeBron James with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green since last year. The chances of a James trade to the Bay Area are slim, as both teams are financially constrained. If the Warriors pull off the trade, they’d receive LeBron James, Bronny James, Cam Reddish, and Jalen Hood-Schifino in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, Jonathan Kuminga, a 2026 first-round pick, a 2028 first-round pick, and a 2030 first-round pick.
Final Thoughts
The Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder were two familiar foes who battled for high stakes again on Tuesday. The Mavericks and Thunder’s second meeting of the 2024-25 NBA season was a quarterfinal matchup for the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup. The winner advanced to the semifinal in Las Vegas, Nevada, while the loser had another game added to their schedule.
The Thunder eliminated the Mavericks with a second-half blitz en route to a 118-104 win at the Paycom Center. The Mavericks suffered 19 turnovers that led to 36 Thunder points. The Mavericks must do better to take care of the ball moving forward. The Thunder’s defense was quite strong, as Luka Doncic was just 1-for-7 from the field before the halftime break. Doncic’s first half was one to forget.
The Dallas Mavericks will return home to host the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Central. After Thursday night’s game, Dallas will host Los Angeles again on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Central. The day off was due to Los Angeles’ away game against the Denver Nuggets on Friday at 7:00 p.m. Mountain. Clippers small forward Kawhi Leonard appears to be nearing his return at an arguably perfect time in the Clippers’ schedule. Leonard, 33, has been dealing with a right knee injury recovery.
