'Thirsty for Revenge?' Dallas Mavs GAMEDAY vs. Warriors: COVID POLICY CHANGE
DALLAS - The Dallas Mavericks host a Golden State Warriors team thirsty for revenge on Thursday night, in a game that could be a NBA playoffs preview. After celebrating Luka Doncic’s 23rd birthday this week and taking down the feisty Los Angeles Lakers, the Mavs look to keep the party vibes going against the Warriors, who own the second-best record in the NBA.
Leading the season series 2-1, a Dallas victory tonight would secure a series win.
Dallas has taken eight of the last 10 meetings vs. Golden State, including their biggest comeback win of the season in San Francisco on Sunday. The Mavericks overcame a 21-point second-half deficit to beat Steph Curry and the Warriors. Before that loss, Golden State had won 62 straight games when leading by 20-or-more points.
"I thought we kind of lost our spirit and our energy when they made that push," Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. "We didn't maintain our grit down the stretch. We let the momentum get away from us... It's a good lesson for us."
Klay Thompson has missed the past two games with a non-Covid-19 illness and is "questionable" to play tonight in Dallas, although he says he will play.
Can the Mavs continue to rise in the Western Conference? With only 20 games remaining, Dallas is currently fifth in the west and four games ahead of seventh-place Minnesota. Avoiding the play-in tournament (teams seeded 7-10 in each conference) is key for Dallas.
Effective immediately, the Mavericks have updated the COVID-19 protocol for games at American Airlines Center – face masks are no longer required for fans in attendance, in accordance with CDC guidelines and Dallas County community levels.
FUN FACT: Dallas has 10 regular season games left at home and 10 remaining on the road.
INJURY REPORT, DALLAS: Trey Burke (left shoulder sprain) is questionable; Marquese Chriss (right knee soreness) is out; Tim Hardaway Jr. (left foot surgery) is out; Frank Ntilikina (right ankle sprain) is questionable; Theo Pinson (right fifth finger fracture) is out.
RECORDS: DALLAS MAVERICKS (37-25) VS. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (43-19)
WHEN: Thursday, March 3, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. CT
LOCATION: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)
TV/RADIO: BSSW, 97.1 The Eagle (KEGL)
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
ODDS: The Mavs are 2-point favorites vs. the Warriors.
NEXT: The Mavs have three more games in-a-row at home, starting with the Sacramento Kings, then the Utah Jazz and finishing with the New York Knicks
LAST WORD: Dinwiddie on his new teammate, Doncic (and that incredible dunk vs. the Lakers):
"He's more athletic than you think. I didn't think he was going to do it. ... I think he was just mad. ... When you have the best player on the court every night, you have a chance to win basketball games."
