Luka Doncic shined in his one-game return, leading the Mavericks to a road victory over the Warriors with 39 points and 10 assists.

Following a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves without Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving, the Dallas Mavericks looked to rebound against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. The Mavericks won 132-122, with Doncic contributing 39 points, eight rebounds, and ten assists, to improve to 19-14 on the season. Meanwhile, the Dubs’ record fell to 15-17.

Doncic needed a pre-game workout to establish his availability after suffering from left quad pain earlier in the day. He eventually played, but Irving and Maxi Kleber were ruled out, while Draymond Green was suspended indefinitely by the NBA. 

The Warriors focused on containing Doncic by switching at the point of attack, sending help rotations with an early low man, and displaying support at the nail when needed. It contrasted with the recent usual tactic of blitzing and double-teaming early to get the ball out of his hands. Doncic was on fire from deep early on, converting three shots to make the defence pay. 

The Mavericks had to adjust for the issues of Stephen Curry playing out of handoff actions, with the offence flowing into various actions, with the Warriors utilising small-ball personnel. Dereck Lively II was facing this matchup for the first time, but he handled it effectively throughout the game. Dallas had trouble finishing plays because they failed to account for weak-side crashers and cutters.

Even when Kevon Looney entered the game, the Warriors put a small on Lively to negate the advantage of bringing him up into a screening action. However, the Warriors deployed a 3-2 zone late in the first quarter to offer Doncic a different look, but the Mavericks still led 34-26 at the half.

Without Doncic, scorching perimeter shooting from Grant Williams and Dante Exum helped extend the advantage to 12, which was completed off by Jaden Hardy countering a hedge in double drag for a mid-range step-back. Stephen Curry entered the game to provide a spark, but the Mavericks lead by double digits when Doncic returned. Curry launched a 12-0 run that put the Warriors up 49-45 with 3:09 left in the first half. 

Late in the second quarter, the Warriors began double Doncic early in possessions, allowing the Mavericks to accept the defence and play advantage basketball by hitting the short roller with the pass. Dallas got inventive, running a Zoom action for Doncic, which resulted in a wide-open corner 3-pointer for Exum, regaining a double-digit lead (60-48) with 1:12 left in the half. A midcourt screen by Lively that transitioned into a re-screen stopped a trap, leading in a and-one on a lob. A baseline jumper from Chris Paul on an isolation possession before the half ended cut the Mavs’ lead to 63-54 after the team had been up by 10 or more often. 

With Doncic struggling to get into the paint in the first half, the Mavs began deploying multiple screening actions to open things up for him. He attacked space downhill with success, whether it was a paint finish or a mid-range jumper. Exum and Hardy each had a finish at the rim playing off the catch as a release valve for Doncic, and then Lively later had a jump hook to finish a play. 

Doncic hit a step-back 3-pointer after a long drought from deep, and he looked relieved when it went in. The shot put the Mavericks up 80-67 midway through the period, extending the Mavs’ lead. Shortly after, he dialled another switch against Looney, preventing the Warriors from gaining any serious momentum.

The Warriors began doubling Doncic again, prompting the Mavs to use him as an off-ball screener, leveraging the attention he commands to open up a teammate. Tim Hardaway Jr. took advantage, coming off a pindown into a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer, answering Brandin Podziemski’s made triple that previously cut Dallas’ lead to single figures. A four-point play from Josh Green further sustained momentum, pushing the team’s advantage to 15 points. The Mavs’ supporting cast made timely plays to punish the Warriors’ focus on Doncic. 

While the Warriors scored 35 points in the third quarter, the Mavs’ hot offensive production outpaced them with 38, setting up a 101-89 edge at the start of the final period. With Doncic on the bench to start the fourth quarter, Exum started the offence, and Dallas maintained their lead. However, after Doncic and Green returned, a made 3-pointer from Curry at the 8:09 mark of the final period cut the Mavs’ advantage to just seven points (108-101) after getting a clean look in transition. 

While the Warriors continued to make pushes, the Mavs regained a 117-106 advantage with 5:13 to play after Doncic made a one-legged jumper in mid-range, then Hardy hit a corner 3-pointer in transition, prompting Golden State to call a timeout. Doncic had comfortably figured out the Warriors’ defense, converting on numerous momentum-killing step-back jumpers from mid-range against switches to sustain the edge.

Curry made a 3-pointer, then the Warriors forced a steal against a broken-down Zoom action led to a turnover, creating a transition look for Paul that he made from deep, bringing the Warriors within five points (119-114). Doncic answered after going to the line, drawing a foul, and making both attempts. 

While the Warriors made a few pushes, they couldn’t quite rally back to achieve the victory. Hardaway countered the defense that tried to double Doncic by making a tough mid-range shot as the weak-side relief option. Another foul sent Doncic to the line with the Mavs in the bonus, and he made both, pushing Dallas up by nine points (124-116) with 1:51 left to play. 

While continuing to accept double teams, Doncic gave the ball up, and his teammates continued to deliver, with Exum driving down the middle of the floor for a scoop finish, creating an eight-point lead (127-119) with over a minute left. Golden State could not rally back, with Dallas having an answer for its coverages and getting stops when needed. 

The Mavs will complete their three-game road trip with a matchup against the Utah Jazz on Monday.