The Golden State Warriors were picked apart in Game 4, and the Dallas Mavericks, who have multiple high-percentage three-point shooters, were able to get loose and finally connect from deep.
That was among the main storylines following the Warriors’ first Western Conference Finals loss.
The Golden State Warriors three-point defense struggled in Game 4, allowing the Dallas Mavericks to hit 20 three-point field goals.
The Warriors had the third-best opponents’ three-point defense during the regular season. Only the Celtics and Heat, the two teams representing the Eastern Conference right now, were better around the arc defensively.
That success for Golden State did not translate in Game 4.
Reggie Bullock, who went 0-for-10 from the field, hit 6 threes. He was the main sniper for the Mavs with forward Dorian Lawrence Finney-Smith knocking in 4 and superstar guard Luka Doncic nailing 3.
The Mavs have shot 35.9% over the last 4 games. Their 20-for-43 from deep on Tuesday certainly helped their cause as well.
Dallas has lived or died by the three during the playoffs. The Mavs’ 15.7 rank No. 1 in three-pointers made with the Celtics’ 14 coming in second, so the gap is relatively large in terms of how many points per game Dallas gets from behind the arc.
The Warriors’ opponents during the regular season averaged just 12.2 three-point makes per game For an additional reference, Golden State, a team that shoots a high amount of shots from behind the arc, is hitting 13.5 per game.
The Warriors have one of the best three-point shooting defenses in the NBA, and allowing 20 makes from deep is unacceptable. Also, returning home, where they were the second-best team in the NBA, is going to help.
Golden State has been together too long to not hold each other accountable for the miscommunications. I fully expect them to switch better and defend more adequately in Game 5. The ability to close out at home should help boost the motivation for the Warriors.