The Golden State Warriors earned their biggest win of the season on Wednesday, holding off Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks late to secure a 127-125 victory. The win not only marks the defending champions' first consecutive road triumphs of 2022-23, but clinches a head-to-head tie-breaker with Dallas that could give Golden State a crucial edge in postseason seeding come mid-April.
Jonathan Kuminga continued his steady, season-long ascent for the Dubs, dropping 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting while making life tough on Doncic defensively. Steph Curry dropped 20 points and 13 assists, exploiting Dallas' commitment to keeping him in check by trusting the pass. The result? Despite going a rough 12-of-39 from deep, the Warriors shot 55.6% overall and scored 66 points in the paint.
Jordan Poole, Donte DiVincenzo, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney also scored in double-figures for Golden State. Poole, composed yet aggressive offensively from the opening tip, added six dimes without turning the ball over to his 16 points, while Green—in a performance that belongs on his Defensive Player of the Year resumé—stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, four rebounds, eight assists, three steals and four blocks.
“We're down a lot of players right now with injuries. I was really inspired just watching guys come off the bench and play well,” Steve Kerr said after the game. “Kuminga was amazing tonight. JaMychal Green gave us huge minutes off the bench. [Anthony] Lamb, Moses [Moody], JP made some big plays. It was great. Guys are competing and they're fighting.”
The win moves Golden State to 38-36, sixth in the Western Conference. Though still just one-and-a-half games up on Dallas, 36-37, in the standings, the Warriors hold an effective two-game lead over Doncic and company because Wednesday's hard-fought victory won them the season series 2-1.
Is Wednesday's much-needed win a sign Golden State has finally turned a corner on the road? At least Dub Nation can take solace from clinging to that hope for the next 10 days. The Warriors begin a four-game home stand on Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers before finishing the regular season with three of four away from home.
“We have to treat every game now like it's a playoff game because that's basically what it is. We're fighting with seven other teams trying to jockey for either playoff position, an actual playoff berth or a play-in berth depending on how it plays out.”
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