OAKLAND — With a festive holiday crowd on hand at Oracle Arena, the Golden State Warriors surged past the Dallas Mavericks 108-99, earning their 29th and last victory of 2016.
The Warriors hammered the Mavericks with a well-balanced attack in the third quarter. An 11-point halftime advantage quickly ballooned into a 22-point third quarter lead. All four superstars were in double figures shortly after halftime.
Klay Thompson erupted for 17 points in the quarter and finished with 29. In a pass-first mood, Kevin Durant posted his first-ever triple-double with the Warriors (19 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists). Draymond Green scored 13 points, secured 8 rebounds and dished out 7 assists himself. Steph Curry chipped in 14 points on 3/6 from downtown.
The funny part? Harrison Barnes was arguably the best player on the floor for major chunks of the game. His 25 points on 11/18 shooting kept Dallas afloat in the first half. Prior to the game Steve Kerr said he thought it would take longer for Barnes to develop into a go-to scorer. That hasn’t been the case, but it hasn’t led to wins for Dallas (10-24).
JaVale McGee finished three different Alley-oop attempts and continues to add an entirely different energetic element to this 2016-17 Warriors frontcourt. McGee ended up with 8 points in 11 minutes played. Ian Clark added 7 points off the bench.
Shaun Livingston left the game for the locker room in the second quarter but returned in the fourth quarter. Patrick McCaw did not attend the game with flu like symptoms. Fellow rookie Damian Jones was active over Anderson Varejao but did not see the floor.
Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio was in attendance at the game with his daughter Aubrey.
The Warriors will ring in the new year in Oakland. The team plays next on Jan. 2, hosting the Denver Nuggets.
