Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks hosted Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. The Mavericks might’ve gained some pep in their step, as Dereck Lively II turned 21. The Mavericks defeated the Warriors 111-107 at the American Airlines Center. Dallas improved to 29-26, while Golden State fell to 27-27.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 42 points and seven rebounds. Klay Thompson followed up with 17 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Max Christie added 17 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Brandon Williams had 12 points and one rebound. Naji Marshall scored 10 points, eight rebounds, and one assist. Olivier-Maxence Prosper recorded six points, three rebounds, and six assists.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors Recap
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors game was action-packed from start to finish. The Mavericks ruled out Anthony Davis with a left adductor strain, Caleb Martin with a right hip strain, Daniel Gafford with a right knee sprain, Dante Exum with left Achilles tightness, Dereck Lively II with a right ankle stress fracture, and Dwight Powell with a right hip strain. The Warriors ruled out Jonathan Kuminga with a right ankle sprain.
The Mavericks’ starting lineup featured Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Klay Thompson, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and Kessler Edwards. Previously, Dallas’ starting lineup was fine until the end. Monday’s game was a first for many sports journalists, including myself. Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd skipped his postgame press conference. Kidd later said he just needed some time to regroup, refocus, and figure out how to put the pieces back together.
The first quarter saw both teams jump out to a fast start before shifting in the Mavericks’ favor. Thompson got the three-point party started, while Jimmy Butler made his 5,000th career field goal. The Mavericks settled for a 32-31 lead at the end of the first. Thompson and Irving continued to dominate the second-quarter scoring, but so did Curry and Gary Payton II. The Mavericks took a 57-56 lead into halftime.
The Mavericks’ 11-4 run maintained a 68-60 lead past the midway mark of the third quarter. Thompson got past two defenders and passed the ball to Max Christie, who passed it to Kessler Edwards, who then slammed it home. Irving had a 30-point performance. The Mavericks led 83-78 through three quarters. The fourth quarter saw the Mavericks in the driver’s seat. The Mavericks won 111-107 in regulation.
Mavericks-Warriors Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors game featured multiple highlights, such as the infamous sports news headline of Kidd unexpectedly skipping his postgame interview on Monday after the Mavericks vs. Sacramento Kings game. Kidd’s unexpected decision capped a night that felt like a kick in the gut to Mavericks fans.
For the Mavericks, Luka Doncic responded to Mavericks fans’ angry reaction to the blockbuster trade. After recording 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists in 24 minutes, Doncic said he saw the fans, he appreciates it as he has been in Dallas for almost seven years, but he thinks that they should focus on the team. Doncic added the way Los Angeles Lakers fans received him here was amazing.
For the Warriors, Jimmy Butler’s help has helped the Warriors get their swagger back. The Butler effect might not be a long-term trend. Still, Butler’s second consecutive uplifting appearance contributed to the Warriors’ 125-111 win over the Milwaukee Bucks at the Fiserv Forum on Monday. Butler finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in 31 minutes.
Final Thoughts
The Dallas Mavericks lost Daniel Gafford and then to the Sacramento Kings in overtime, 129-128, at the American Airlines Center on Monday. Gafford left the game with 10:46 left in the second quarter after colliding with Malik Monk and sustaining a right knee sprain. The Mavericks were left with no veteran big men to patrol the middle. The Mavericks’ record fell to 28-26 for a 0.5 lead over the Kings in the Western Conference.
Injuries have been getting in the way of the progress made by the Mavericks. Just one game after losing Anthony Davis and PJ Washington, Dallas lost Gafford. The basketball gods haven’t been too kind to the Mavericks this season, as the Mavericks’ 129-128 overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings negatively impacted the image at the two-thirds mark of the season. All the Mavericks can do is accept it and move forward.
In positive news, Irving earned his ninth career All-Star selection and second with the Mavericks. Irving was selected as an injury replacement for Anthony Davis on Team Shaq in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game at the Chase Center on Sunday. He previously started for Team LeBron at the 2023 NBA All-Star Game at the Delta Center and finished with a Mavericks All-Star Game record and a career-high 32 points.
Irving was grateful to celebrate another All-Star moment. He did what the All-Stars did on Monday in a game going down to the wire, but neither he nor the Mavericks got past the Kings. However, his nickname of “Mr. Fourth Quarter” didn’t go unappreciated, as he positively impacted the fourth quarter with his scoring and his key steal late in the quarter. He scored a bucket in the paint with 15 seconds left in regulation that forced overtime.
The Dallas Mavericks will host the Miami Heat at the American Airlines Center on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Central as part of a back-to-back set. The Heat played the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder last night and lost 115-101.
