Mavs Show Growth in Win Over Warriors: ‘Didn’t Score, But Kept Playing Defense’
The ability to win in multiple ways often differentiates a team's ability to have success or be a quick exit in the playoffs.
On a night when they struggled from beyond the arc and Luka Doncic had his triple-double streak snapped, the Mavs still found a way to get past the Steph Curry-less Golden State Warriors (34-31) with a 109-99 win on Wednesday at the American Airlines Center.
The win was the Mavs' fourth straight.
The Mavs (38-28) shot 6 of 27 from 3, tying their fewest made this season. In their previous eight games when they made 10 or fewer 3-pointers, they were 1-7. It also marked the first time Dallas had won when making six or fewer 3-pointers since 2017.
Mar 13, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) dunks the ball past Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (32) during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
With his team's ability to win a game when they shot 22 percent from the field, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd felt it showed the team's growth in a game they likely wouldn't have won early in the season. He also noted the team's improvement on defense, especially with the addition of P.J. Washington.
"I don't think so," Kidd said when asked if his team had won a game like that one at any point this season. "I think a couple things: we would have been stubborn to shoot 3s and then also our defense would not have been up to par. Again, I said this earlier, I think P.J. [Washington Jr.] is playing at a high, high level for us on both ends. He doesn't let the 3s or missed shots affect him; he competes on the other end. That's what we need."
The Mavs shot 38 of 55 from the field outside of their 3-pointers. With its struggles from beyond the arc, Dallas pounded the paint and outscored Golden State 68-48. The Mavs' 68 points in the paint was their most this season and third-most in the last five years.
Dallas also had 30 assists, the 11th time it had that many assists and the second-straight game it had 30 or more assists. The Mavs are 10-1 this season when they have 30 or more assists.
Albeit the Warriors didn't have Curry, the Mavs' defense strung together another good performance on defense, as they allowed under 100 points for a second consecutive game, the first time they've accomplished that feat this season. That effort was led by center Daniel Gafford, who had a season-high seven blocks against Golden State.
"We didn't score the ball, but we kept playing defense and I thought our defense was great," Kidd said. "As you brought up, [Daniel] Gafford had seven blocks tonight, and was really big for us to keep the lead but also just to protect the paint -- which he's been doing at a high rate for us right now."
If the Mavs are one of the final eight teams in the playoffs, the ability to win in multiple ways is paramount if they're going to make a run. They can't just lean on Doncic having a 30-point triple-double every night and winning shootouts.
If Dallas can continue to win ugly games when its offense isn't firing on all cylinders, it's another way they can win. And if they can win those types of games in the playoffs, it'll make the Mavs even more dangerous in the Western Conference.
