The Mavericks plan continues. The goodbye of Kristaps Porzingis in the transfer market and the arrivals of Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans It was considered an almost blunder by the franchise, but so far things are going fairly well. In 5 games, 3 wins and 2 losses, her first by only 2 points and still without her brand new signings in contention. Jason Kidd’s team resists the attacks of their rivals, always arrives alive at the end of the games and defends well despite their interior deficiencies. Yes indeed, he continues to rely on Luka Doncic for everything on offenseon which they depend totally and absolutely and which continues to be the gold mine and the support of the Texan team, fifth in the Western Conference, 2.5 wins behind the fourth place occupied by the Jazz and which would give them home field advantage in the first round by first time in the it was Doncic. Difficult mission, but not impossible.
The Mavericks beat the Warriors in Golden State, a victory of merit against a rival that, yes, had significant casualties. Klay Thompson does not jump on the track, something that Andre Iguodala did not do either and the usual absences of JAmes Wiseman and Draymond Green. The key will be when and how this last cornerstone of the project and the defense devised by Steve Kerr and his assistants will return. Without Green, the Warriors will not be able to compete in the playoffs or opt for the ring and, since the power forward is out of the rotation, they have ceased to be the enviable team from the beginning of the course that they remembered from 2015 on both sides of the track. . Despite this, 43-18, a great record that leaves them in second place in the Western Conferenceabsolutely far from the Suns (of whom they are 6 wins away) and with the Grizzlies hot on their heels (1.5 games away) but with a margin not to go beyond third place.
Beyond that, the loss to the Mavs plunges them into a streak of disparate results that has come after the 9 consecutive victories achieved before the closing of the transfer market. After that, 5 losses in 7 games, a small crisis in a season in which everything fluctuates too much, including the results. Luka Doncic prolonged the little bad moment of his rivals with 34 points and 11 rebounds, although he lost 9 balls. Curiously, the Slovenian played only 5 minutes in the last quarter, the one of the comeback of the Mavs, who got a partial of 33-13 for the final victory with 9 points, 5 rebounds and, above all, no losses from Doncic and 10 points from Spencer Dinwiddiethe unlikely Texan hero, who went for 24 total points.
The crisis was total for the Warriors in the last 12 minutes, who were 5 of 21 in field goals and 2 of 11 in triples. 2 of 8 and 1 of 5 for Curry, who went to 27 points and 10 assists but failed at the end, when Doncic won the individual duel. Curry made a triple with 10.8 seconds to go (104-101), but Doncic made two free throws and the Warriors ate the ball on the wing violating the 5 seconds and one more free throw from Doncic sentenced the clash. Curry was hardly accompanied (8 points from Andrew Wiggins and little more) but the Warriors defended exceptionally in practically the entire match, but they could not with the individual talent of the Mavericks in the final minutes and they entered into a brutal concatenation of failures that ended up being definitive for them. One more match within another season and between two teams that are going to fight tooth and nail in the playoffs for which, with a month and a half still remaining, there is not as much left as it seems. The key moment is approaching. Doncic and Curry know it. And you can see it.
