OAKLAND — If for some strange reason you needed a reminder why the Warriors uprooted half of their championship roster for Kevin Durant, Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks was the perfect example.
Golden State beat Dallas 116-95, all four superstars were in double-figures by halftime, the Warriors made 51.5 percent of the their three-pointers (17/33) and Harrison Barnes started just 2-for-11 from the field.
Two nights after a sloppy affair against the New Orleans Pelicans, this win over the Mavericks should help with the Warriors’s confidence.
Especially Klay Thompson’s.
The Golden State shooting guard was on fire to start the game, finishing with 20 points. Thompson made eight of his first nine attempts from the floor and 18 of those points in a rainmaking first quarter. The 26-year-old was shooting just 20.8 percent from downtown in the team’s first seven games, but both Thompson and Kerr have reiterated they weren’t concerned. Wednesday proved them right.
Kevin Durant was just as hot as Thompson, hitting his first seven shots while scoring 28 points on the night. It was his 72nd straight game with at least 20 points and he also added 10 rebounds.
Draymond Green stroked 4-of-6 from three-point territory and ended up with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Green is undeniably playing an All-Star level to start the season, whether the numbers totally reflect it or not.
Steph Curry tweaked his right ankle in the third quarter and briefly went to the locker room to have it re-taped. He returned, caught fire early in the fourth quarter and finished with 24 points and 6 assists. And when all four superstars show up like this, the bench and the big men are required to do very little.
The Mavericks went on a 20-6 run to start the third quarter, where the Warriors played lazily on both ends. Seth Curry, Steph’s younger brother, had a sequence with two steals and a silky three-pointer. He scored 10 points; Barnes ended up with 25 points on 8/20 shooting. Andrew Bogut did not play (rest).
The Warriors will play a back-to-back Thursday night in Denver against the Nuggets. They’ll return home Sunday and host the Phoenix Suns.
