Dirk Nowitzki leads Dallas Mavericks to 101-73 win over the Golden State Warriors
Dirk Nowitzki scored a game-high 20 points, as the Dallas Mavericks thrashed the Golden State Warriors 101–73 at the American Airlines Centre on Sunday night. The Mavs, who had lost five of their last eight games, got back on track with an emphatic win.
The highlight of the night though was not their upbeat, high adrenaline offence; rather it was a stout effort at the back end of the court that left the Warriors stunned. The Mavs reduced the Warriors to a meagre 35 percent shooting from the field, out-rebounded
them 51-39 and also forced them into 18 turnovers.
Peja Stojakovic returned to the action after missing six games and immediately made his presence felt, going 5-for-8 from beyond the arc to lift the Mavs to a comfortable win.
The Mavericks were sorely missing a long-distance shooter, who would allow them to spread the defence and make it easier for big-man Tyson Chandler inside the key; and Stojakovic answered the call. He had 17 points in the contest.
Dallas played an up-tempo game from the start, running in transition to take a 27-12 advantage in fast-break points.
The teams traded baskets in the opening quarter, but around the halfway mark of the period, the Mavs went on an unanswered nine-point run capped by Stojakovic’s layup to take a 22–14 lead with less than three minutes to play.
Stojakovic set the tone early in the second quarter, burying three consecutive three-pointers to give the Mavericks a 17-point lead. Golden State however, responded with an 8–0 spurt of their own to close out the quarter. Dallas led 51–43 at the break.
The Warriors carried their momentum into the second half as well and closed the gap to 60-56 early in the third quarter. However, the Mavericks kept their composure and countered with a 16–7 run to end the quarter on a high, and extend their lead to 76–63.
A 17–1 run midway through the fourth period allowed the Mavs to pull away for good and take a huge 24-point lead.
Dallas kept coming at the Warriors and finished the game off strongly to pick up a well deserved win. At one point in the fourth quarter, Dallas led by as many as 29 points. For the Warriors, who have now lost four straight games, Monta Ellis scored 18 points.
The Mavericks had a good all-around performance with all 11 of their players scoring in the game. Tyson Chandler grabbed 17 boards, while Rodrigue Beaubois added 15 points. However, Shawn Marion sat out the game with a sprained right-ankle.
This was the second meeting in five days between the teams, as the Mavericks overcame an 18-point first-half lead against Golden State to rally to a 112–106 win in Oakland on Thursday.
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