Hangover: Doncic, Mavs Blown Out By Warriors in WCF Opener
The Dallas Mavericks knew it would be nearly impossible to play as well as they did in their second-round Game 7 blowout of the Phoenix Suns heading into Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Not only were the were the Warriors undefeated at Chase Center so far in these playoffs, but historically, teams coming off of Game 7 wins were 32-50 in Game 1 of the following series.
The Mavs were not able to beat those odds, as the Warriors ran away with a 112-87 win and a 1-0 series lead. Dallas got a lot of great looks throughout the night, but wasn't able to convert, as it shot 36.5 percent from the field, including 23.4 percent from deep. On the flip side, the Warriors shot an impressive 56.1 percent on the night.
Harry How/Getty Images
Harry How/Getty Images
Harry How/Getty Images
"When you shoot 48 threes, you've gotta make some," said coach Jason Kidd. "And we just didn't make them."
Luka Doncic led the Mavs with 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists on 6-18 shooting in 35 minutes of action. After scoring 18 points in the first half alone, Doncic was held to just two points in the entire second half. It was a poor performance on both ends by Doncic's lofty standards, and he'll look to bounce back strong in Game 2.
"It's going to be really tough, but we believe,'' said Doncic.
On paper, it was assumed that the Warriors didn't have enough weapons defensively to contain Doncic, especially considering what we witnessed in the previous round against Phoenix. However, Golden State was able to do what we haven't seen so far this postseason – make Doncic look mortal. We'll see what adjustments Kidd and his staff can make for him going forward.
Spencer Dinwiddie, who scored 30 points in the Mavs' closeout win over the Suns, kept his positive scoring ways going against the Warriors, as he finished with 17 points off the bench in 24 minutes. Dinwiddie shot 5-11 from the field, including 3-7 from deep.
Harry How/Getty Images
Harry How/Getty Images
Harry How/Getty Images
Jalen Brunson and Reggie Bullock were the two other Mavericks to join Doncic and Dinwiddie in double-digit scoring with 14 and 12 points, respectively. The two combined to shoot just 10-28 from the field, including 3-15 from deep.
All Warriors starters scored in double figures in Game 1, led by Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole, who finished with 21, 19 and 19 points respectively. Otto Porter Jr., who had previously been out with a foot injury, scored 10 points off the bench on 5-7 shooting in 23 minutes.
Now, the Mavs will shift focus to Game 2 on Friday night, as they try to head back to Dallas with a 1-1 split. The Mavs have started each of their first two series by losing the first game, so they've shown that they're more than capable of bouncing back. Perhaps this one will just be chalked up to a Game 7 hangover.
"This is one game,'' Kidd said of the winning Warriors. "They did their part."
