WE BELIEVE! At least for the first 18 minutes it felt like 2007, again. The Warriors played scrappy defense and pushed the pace to negate Chandler’s presence inside. They jumped out to an 18-point advantage by hitting the first 12 of 13 shots. They brought quick doubles on Nowitzki as soon as he put the ball on the floor forcing him to start 1-6 from the field. However, the Mavs calmly rallied back like the veteran team they are to cut it to 59-53 by halftime.
Shawn Marion was a huge mismatch off the bench, nabbing 12 points in the first 24. It’s these kind of long, athletic forwards that will tear apart the Warriors’ D. Too fast for Lee to cover, too long for Wright, and Thornton can’t be bothered with that kind of stuff. There were some lapses in rotation, but I thought the Warriors did fine on defense. They still had the game until the final eight minutes when they suddenly went cold and Dirk was Dirk, keying a big 15-0 run to basically put the game away. There’s only so much you can do against a 7-foot assassin.
The 3 is the biggest weapon for the Warriors and without Curry in the mix offensively after bumping his elbow, the Warriors had no chance to come back in the final minutes. Overall, a good effort from Golden State, but the Mavericks proved why they’re 3rd in the conference. The Warriors lost this game as much as Dallas won it. I don’t know how the Warriors can improve closing out games, but until they fix their execution down the stretch, they won’t compete on any level.
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Three Stars
1st Star: Acie Law
Fantastic minutes from Law, who was arguably the best Warrior point guard tonight. Certainly not the best line — 15 points, two rebounds, six assists — but he was relentless in his attack. Totaled two and-1’s, almost three, and found Dorell in the corner a few times. I hate to say it, but Ellis would do well to play a little more like Acie.
2nd Star: David Lee
22 points and nine rebounds on 10-14 shooting. Despite his efficient line, Lee only attempted one shot in the fourth. As the game gets closer and closer to the end, Lee seems to get less and less assertive. Ellis is the most talented scorer on the team, but the Warriors are at their best when they move the ball. Whether it’s Ellis ballhogging or Lee deferring (probably both), they need to sort this issue out.
3rd Star: Monta Ellis
I’ll forgive Monta a little for his post-game comments and impressive stat line, 26 points, six rebounds, 11 assists, two steals, and a swat. He put the loss on himself, citing his turnovers, five, and missed shots. Although he was 10-20, he really took the Warriors out of this game with his poor decisions on offense. He forced bad shots and as a result, the offense stagnated. He’s twice as gifted as Acie, yet Law had an easier time scoring. What gives?
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Notes
Poor shot selection: When the Warriors were off to a hot start they were attacking the basket and taking open shots. Shouldn’t be too difficult, right? Instead they resorted to long 3s, quick 3s, long 2s. The defense will gladly give them those. I can’t mention shot selection, without mentioning the play of Law and Ellis again. They’re basically polar opposites in that regard.
Acie Law: I realize I’m fawning over the Warriors’ 3rd best guard, but tThe more I watch him play, the more I like what I see. Of course he’ll never have the elite athleticism or reliable outside shot to become a starter, but that’s what makes him special. Despite his limited tools, he plays smart basketball on both ends, leaving a positive impact when he’s on the court. Also, did you catch him elbowing Barea a few times? He brings toughness, something this team sorely lacks.
Stephen Curry: Not a strong night for Steph, who banged up his elbow a bit. He was playing well to start, but never got back in his groove after the incident and with Law playing so well. Unfortunate that Curry couldn’t bring it on the Warriors’ first-ever “Got Curry?” Bollywood night.
Center by committee: I don’t understand why Keith Smart plays Biedins and Udoh 20 minutes each. It’s like his way of saying neither are good enough to start. I get that Biedrins is a liability at the line, but this is a non-factor when he barely even touches the ball. Their games compliment one another, but without favoring one over the other, neither have the chance to grow.
More minutes for younger players: On that note, I hope the Warriors extend Keith Smart before the season is over. At the very least they should give him the green light to spread out the minutes more when they’re mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. The bench is lacking on experience, not talent. Not great by any means, but they can be a solid squad that can sop up some minutes while the starters get rest.
Daggers: Dirk’s high, looping shot make it feel more dagger-like. On that note, every bad shot by Ellis feels like one. He’s too smart, I think, and too talented to settle for contested fadeaways and long 3s.
Brian Cardinal: He played seven minutes? Granted, he only had two turnovers and a foul. Still, how did I not sense this man’s presence?
The More You Know: In honor of NBC’s amazing public service announcements, I’ll throw in some random stats for each game. Dirk Nowitzki has now made 52 straight free throws, the longest active streak. Over the last seven games, 129 minutes played, Acie Law has had three turnovers. That’s one turnover every 43 minutes. Good stuff.
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Phoenix is hosting the Warriors on Friday where Nash has finally recovered enough from his pesky pelvic infection. With Frye out, the Warriors will need to contain Dudley behind the arc. Nash is always a threat, but behind that they need to really apply defensive pressure on their shooters and slashers. Playing solid pick and roll defense and closing out on shooters will be key. Both teams are going to score, but which team is going to work harder for buckets? 109-105 W’s. Yes, the Warriors win in all my predictions. It’s not Homerism, just positive thinking.