‘Culture Win’: Dinwiddie & Doncic Shock Warriors in Mavs Comeback
Coming off a clutch loss to the Utah Jazz — a game that had some bad breaks for Luka Doncic down the stretch in his one-on-one matchups with Rudy Gobert — the Dallas Mavericks hoped to bounce back against a Golden State Warriors team that was missing Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. They were able to do just that with an incredible come-from-behind victory, 107-101.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Luka Doncic, who will celebrate his 23rd birthday on Monday, didn't have his best outing, but finished strong with 34 points and 11 rebounds. Doncic hit a couple of big shots down the stretch, including a tough fadeaway over Steph Curry and the game-clinching free throws with just seconds remaining.
"This is a character, environment, culture win in the sense that no one quit,” said coach Jason Kidd.
Speaking of hitting big shots, Spencer Dinnwiddie provided a huge lift for Dallas off the bench, especially in the fourth quarter, as he finished with 24 points, four rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes. Dinwiddie shot 10-of-14 from the field and 2-of-4 from deep. Although he has only played in four games for Dallas, Dinwiddie is already showing how valuable he could be for the Mavs heading into the postseason.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
"He's a baller,” said Doncic of his new teammate. “That's how I'm going to describe him."
Dinwiddie nearly single-handedly willed his team back from a 21-point deficit and what was, at one point, a 26-1 run for the Mavs in a final period where he played every single minute. Dinwiddie has now scored 20+ points in back-to-back games.
Dorian Finney-Smith and Reggie Bullock joined Doncic as the only other starters to score double-figures with 14 and 12 points respectively. Both players shot 50 percent from three-point range, combining to go 6-of-12 from deep.
Next up, the Mavs will take on LeBron James — who has been the center of NBA attention lately thanks to his comments on his future with his team — and the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night to complete their three-game road trip out of the All-Star break. The Lakers will be without Anthony Davis due to a foot injury, so Dallas will have another opportunity to take advantage of a shorthanded opponent.
