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Golden State Warriors looking to make statement against Luka Doncic-led Dallas Mavericks

By William Spencer

DALLAS, TEXAS - MAY 24: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks fights for position against Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter in Game Four of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals at American Airlines Center on May 24, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TEXAS - MAY 24: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks fights for position against Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter in Game Four of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals at American Airlines Center on May 24, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) /
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The Dallas Mavericks will be the Golden State Warriors’ final challenge to conclude their current two-game road trip. The visit to American Airlines Arena will be the teams’ first meeting this season after Golden State defeated Dallas in 4-1 in last season’s Western Conference Finals.

The focus of this challenge will be Luka Doncic —  the 6’7″, 230 lbs MVP candidate with whom the entire Mavericks offense centers around. The 24-year-old Slovenian point-guard is cut from the same European basketball cloth as Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets big man who the Warriors also eliminated on the way to their championship last season.

The Golden State Warriors will face a tough task defending Luka Doncic on Tuesday as they seek to move further up the Western Conference standings.

Doncic is a generational talent, leading the league in scoring, with a unique skill set for a point-guard. Luka can body-up your largest player on the floor while hitting his deadly one-footed step back from the mid-range, or working inside, with the ability to finish with either hand.

The Mavericks are known for being a three-point shooting team. Spencer Dinwiddie will attempt to collapse the Warriors’ interior defense, providing opportunities for Christian Wood, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Doncic from the perimeter. Keeping Dallas off the glass while limiting the Mavericks’ opportunities from the foul line will be critical to the Warriors’ success.

With Stephen Curry (25), Jordan Poole (24), Klay Thompson (21), Draymond Green (19) Andrew Wiggins (17) and Donte DiVincenzo (14) all scoring in double figures, Golden State are coming off their most impressive road game of the season — a 137-114 punishing win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The small-ball lineup is playing classic Warriors-style basketball again. The Mavericks must contain Curry, Thompson, Poole, Wiggins and an aggressive Green, and with the additions of DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green, Golden State are surging again in their attempt to add a fifth Larry O’Brien Trophy in eight years.

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The same mantra which motivated the team’s 2021 championship campaign — “don’t let go of the rope” — is echoing again in Golden State’s locker room. With an away win over the Mavericks on Tuesday night, the Warriors will once again show the league that a road to the 2022-23 championship will require a visit to Chase Center, where the Dubs are currently an imposing 9-1.

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