Dallas shut the door on Golden State late, 123-115, and did it with purpose. Stephen Curry lit up the night with 38 points. He also became the first player to reach 10,000 career three point attempts. The milestone was massive. The Mavericks made the moments that mattered.
Final: Mavericks 123, Warriors 115. Stephen Curry scored 38 and reached 10,000 career three point attempts.
How the game flipped
Golden State punched first. The Warriors ripped through the first half with pace and quick threes. They built a big cushion and looked in control. Their spacing was clean, their cuts were crisp, and Curry’s rhythm was pure. That early flow faded when Dallas tightened its shell.
The Mavericks dragged the game into the paint. They hit the glass and turned misses into chances. They spread the floor, drove the seams, and found shooters in the corners. Each possession got a little more physical. Each screen got a little deeper. The tone changed in the fourth, and Dallas owned that zone.
Jason Kidd leaned on multiple ball handlers to bend the defense. The Mavericks hunted switches, then moved the ball before help could reset. It was simple, strong basketball, and it wore the Warriors down. The home crowd felt it, and the players fed on it. One stop led to another, and the scoreboard followed. [IMAGE_1]
Here was the closing blueprint from Dallas:
- Pressure the rim, then spray to shooters
- Target tired legs, especially on switches
- Sit on Warrior dribble handoffs, then run
- Live at the line, control tempo
Curry’s night, and the weight of volume
Curry’s 38 sang from the first quarter on. Catch and shoot, off the bounce, high arcing daggers. He forced Dallas to pick up at half court. He bent coverage and opened slots for teammates. Reaching 10,000 three point attempts is not just volume. It is trust, stamina, and a decade of gravity. The league has never seen sustained range like this.
Yet the final five minutes were a grind. Dallas stayed attached at the point of attack and sent help from the baseline. The Warriors could not create the easy corner look. They settled for late clock shots and gave up a few live ball turnovers. When Curry tried to rescue possessions, Dallas shaded early and lived with twos. Golden State needed a second steady creator. It did not find one often enough.
The Warriors’ late game math
Golden State’s formula needs stops to spark runouts. They did not get enough clean rebounds late. Without that push, they had to score in the half court. The Mavericks dictated matchups and cut off the elevator plays and split actions that free Curry. That is a rough place to live against a long, locked in defense.
Dallas shows its closing gear
This was mature basketball from a team with postseason aims. Luka Doncic managed pace, called out coverages, and picked the right moments to attack. Kyrie Irving worked pockets, slipped under traps, and hit timely shots. The role players filled in the gaps and chased loose balls. The Mavericks trusted their reads and their physicality.
On defense, they loaded the elbows and made every catch uncomfortable. They did not bite on fakes. They challenged without fouling, then finished possessions with two hands. That is playoff defense, even in March and April. It travels, and it wins late.
Closing wins define seeding in the West. Dallas just banked a big one. 🏀
What it means in the West
For Dallas, this is a statement and a springboard. The Mavericks secured a win over a seasoned closer and did it by leaning on defense and shot creation. That is the blueprint for May. Confidence grows when game plans hold under pressure.
For Golden State, the alarms are not blaring, but they are beeping. The Warriors can still cook in waves. They can still bury teams with shooting and feel. But the late game rhythm is fragile right now. The rotations must lock in. The rebounding must firm up. Most of all, they need a second late game pressure valve, so Curry is not carrying every heavy lift.
The playoff race is tight. One result can shift matchups, travel, and prep. Dallas gains momentum and tiebreak leverage. Golden State leaves with lessons, and not much time to fix them. [IMAGE_2]
The last word
Curry’s night was historic and electric. He changed the court with every touch. Dallas still won the minutes that settle seasons. The Mavericks trusted their defense, hammered the paint, and finished with poise. The Warriors built a lead, then watched it slip in the clutch. That is the story tonight. The milestone belongs to Curry. The win belongs to Dallas.
