DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks hosted the Golden State Warriors on Friday night. Dallas earned a thrilling 108-106 victory despite Luka Doncic's injury absence due to right knee soreness. PJ Washington and Kyrie Irving stepped up to lead the way in the win.
The Mavs defense told the story on Thursday against the Atlanta Hawks. Dallas held Atlanta to under 100 points and they forced 21 Hawks turnovers. On Friday, the defense performed well while a team effort on offense led to the win.
What a game!
The game was competitive throughout. The teams swapped leads during the first three quarters. By the time the third quarter came to an end, the Mavs held a narrow 79-76 lead.
The Mavericks started strong in the fourth quarter. An intense PJ Washington block led to a transition alley-oop from Kyrie Irving to Daniel Gafford. The moment, which occurred with just under 11 minutes remaining in the final quarter of play, forced Golden State to call a timeout.
Washington later hit a clutch three with around 4:30 remaining in the game. Golden State had pulled within six, but Washington found the bottom of the net from the top of the arc to electrify the American Airlines Center fans.
However, the Warriors refused to go away. With just over two minutes remaining, the Mavericks led 103-99. Kyrie Irving then displayed his clutch prowess and knocked down a jump-shot. The Warriors answered with five straight points, including a Stephen Curry three-pointer.
The Mavs and Warriors found themselves tied once again with just over 12 seconds remaining before PJ Washington scored his 32nd point to give Dallas the lead. The Warriors called timeout and drew up a play with 4.5 seconds remaining, but Dallas got the stop and ultimately the victory.
Head coach Jason Kidd broke down Dallas' final offensive play of the game.
“Just understanding that Kai (Kyrie Irving) is the focal point,” Kidd said. “We wanted to make sure he touched it. Just to expect that they were going to double-team. And I thought Kai trusting his teammates, accepting the double-team… Timmy (Tim Hardaway Jr.) drives it and just the trust, Timmy passes to PJ. We've seen this before. PJ, you know, being able to catch and finish… I thought PJ was great for us.”
PJ Washington steals the show in Mavericks' victory
With Doncic out, the Mavs were going to need someone to step up amid his absence. The Mavs knew Kyrie Irving could lead the charge. However, it remained to be seen who else would step up on the offensive end of the floor.
PJ Washington answered the call.
“Definitely, just try to pick and choose my spots, just try to attack early and often,” Washington said of being extra aggressive with Doncic out and the defense focused on Irving. “Put pressure on them.”
PJ Washington says he was extra aggressive on the offensive end with Luka Doncic out due to injury.
“Definitely, just try to pick and choose my spots, just try to attack early and often. Put pressure on them.”#Mavericks #MFFL pic.twitter.com/L85cNwUUQj
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) April 6, 2024
Washington finished the game with 32 points on 12-18 shooting from the field and 5-8 shooting from beyond the arc. Washington has endured some ups and downs offensively since joining the Mavericks via trade in February, but his defense has been reliable. Still, it is clear that Washington can be a third option, or a second option as was the case Friday, on any given night.
The Mavericks utilized a complete team effort, though. Kyrie Irving added 26 points and seven assists, while Daniel Gafford had 10 points and 15 rebounds. Still, it was exciting to see Washington step up in the manner that he did. Irving and Gafford had nothing but positive things to say about their teammate's performance against the Warriors.
“It was spectacular, man,” Irving said of Washington's game. “You could tell it was going to be a special night, just based on how he started the game. That's what we need. Especially when we don't have certain guys in the lineup. We need that offensive firepower. He came out and did it on both ends of the floor, so I'm grateful for him… I think he just picked and chose his spots, and took what the defense gave him. But also, there's a little bit more aggressiveness, the opportunities are there.”
“Great night for him,” Gafford said of Washington. “I felt like from the beginning of the game, he was on it. Just seeing him get down hill, making shots he works on a day-to-day basis… I didn't even know he had 32 until after the game.”
Washington said Friday's performance was his best offensive game since joining Dallas, but felt that he could have been better on defense despite recording five steals. In the end, though, he was just happy to see the Mavs get the victory.
“Offensively, yeah, for sure,” Washington said when asked if this was his best game with the Mavericks so far. “I feel like defensively I could have been a little bit better… It is what it is, I'm just glad we got the win.”
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