Dallas Mavs Grind Out Win Over Golden State Warriors with Luka Doncic Injured

Mavs superstar Luka Doncic was ruled out against the Warriors due to right knee soreness, but Dallas still achieved the victory.

Apr 5, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) looks to score as Golden / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS — With Luka Doncic sidelined due to right knee soreness, the Dallas Mavericks (47-30) attempted to overcome his absence in a matchup against the Golden State Warriors (42-35). The Mavs overcame the odds to achieve a 108-106 victory.

While Doncic didn't play, the Mavs still had Kyrie Irving to guide the unit. He finished with 26 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in 42 minutes. Since returning from a right thumb sprain on February 5, Irving has played in 28 consecutive games, with the team going 21-7. He's averaged 25.6 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 51.5% from the floor, 41.1% from 3-point range, and 93.2% on free throws.

"When Kai is on the floor, it gives us the chance to win. You can see the trust he has in his teammates," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. "You can see the trust his teammates have in him. It is a beautiful thing. Our goal right now is to keep him healthy and on the floor. That gives us a chance to win.”

Apr 5, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) looks to score as Golden / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

While Irving had a standout game, P.J. Washington stepped up with a team-high 32 points, adding five rebounds, five steals, three assists, and two blocks, including the game-winning shot. With Dereck Lively II and Maxi Kleber sidelined, Washington spent time at the center spot throughout the game, generally being more aggressive in scoring with Doncic out.

"He was great on both ends. He stepped up offensively. On the defensive end, he has been doing it all season since he has been here," Kidd said of Washington. "We needed someone to step up and not be Luka but get us some points, and I thought he did a great job of just rhythm catch-and-shoot or putting the ball on the floor. We played small, so his ability to roll, catch, and finish was big tonight for us.”

Other standout performers for the Mavs featured Daniel Gafford, who chipped in 10 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. Other double figure scorers Tim Hardaway Jr. with 13 points and Dante Exum, who added 11 points and seven assists. Derrick Jones Jr. was focused on making it challenging on Stephen Curry defensively, but still added nine points and three blocks.

Curry led the Warriors with 28 points, six rebounds, and five assists on the night, with subpar efficiency. Klay Thompson added 1 points and three steals. Gary Payton II provided 14 points off-the-bench, with Brandin Podziemski chipping in 14 points, five assists, and four rebounds.

Using a hot shooting start, the Mavs jumped out to a 29-13 lead over the Warriors. Washington already scored 11 points, helping to push Dallas ahead. There was even a moment with 6:23 remaining in the first quarter that Washington had personally outscored Golden State 11-10.

“It felt good. Obviously, I’ve been really struggling to make shots as of late, so just to see them go in is a great confidence booster," Washington said about his shooting. "Credit to all my coaches being with me every day and getting that work in. I’m just excited that we got a ‘dub’ tonight.”

While the Mavs' hot shooting and fast tempo worked early on, the Warriors took advantage to rally back before the first period ended. Golden State closed the quarter on a 19-2 run, with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Chris Paul giving them their first lead.

The Mavs were up 51-46 after Derrick Jones Jr. converted on a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer, but the Warriors closed the half on an 8-1 run, taking a 54-52 edge entering the break. While neither team managed to break the game open in the third quarter, the Mavs held a 63-58 edge after Irving hit a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer.

Both teams continued to trade leads midway through the third period, with Curry making a floater over Irving to put Golden State ahead, then Irving using a crafty behind-the-back move to set up an and-one finish pushing Dallas back in front. The Mavs did create a four-point edge after Washington finished a floater on a handoff out of the corner from Dwight Powell.

The game was tied 71-71 when Irving checked out of the game late in the third quarter. Curry returned to the court for the final possession of the third period and missed a high-arching step-back 3-pointer against a double team, solidifying a 79-76 edge for Dallas entering the fourth quarter.

Washington pushed the Mavs up by six points early in the final period after finishing an and-one as a transition trailer. He then blocked Green on a drive, furthering the momentum for Dallas. Irving capitalized attacking a closeout to find Gafford on a lob out of the dunker spot, extending the Mavs' advantage to 84-76 with 10:42 left to play.

Curry used a Gortat screen to navigate the lane for a layup, but Hardaway effectively erased that play by leaking out in transition for a breakaway dunk. Curry hit a deep pull-up 3-pointer to bring Golden State within five but failed to capitalize on Dallas committing a shot clock violation by missing his next attempt from beyond the arc. Irving responded by drawing a foul on a putback attempt and making both free throws, giving the Mavs an 88-81 edge with 8:46 still on the game clock.

After Gafford switched in pick-and-roll coverage with a double following Curry, Washington received a finish attempt on the other end. Dallas established a nine-point advantage. The priority of making Curry work for scoring chances instead of seeing clean looks to counter switches or drop coverage proved effective.

Before Dallas's momentum could shift after a series of empty possessions, Irving hit a contested pull-up 3-pointer and attacked in transition, drawing a shooting foul before making two free throws. As a result of this sequence, the Mavs were up by 10 points midway through the final period.

The Warriors took advantage of the Mavs trying to blitz Curry to create a short roll sequence ending in a Payton alley-oop slam out of the dunker spot. The Mavs immediately responded with Washington hitting a 3-pointer from the top of the key, sustaining a comfortable lead for Dallas.

Golden State remained persistent in chipping away at the Mavs' lead down the stretch. Despite Irving hitting a timely pull-up from mid-range while evading a double team, the Warriors achieved a quick 8-2 run highlighted by a tough pull-up 3-pointer by Curry, prompting Dallas to call a timeout with 58.7 seconds still to play.

"We got timely stops, and we got some big defensive rebounds. We trusted each other to make the right plays," Irving said. "I had a few too many turnovers tonight, crucial turnovers, even though we only had 17 tonight. I think that kind of tells you the tale of the tape. If we take care of the basketball against good teams, then it's going to be even tougher to beat us," Irving said. But when we turn the ball over, and especially me being the head of the group, it makes it a little harder to at least create some separation throughout the game."

Irving was blitzed, and the Warriors got the ball out of his hands, resulting in Jones missing an open corner 3-pointer. The Mavs got a defensive stop, setting up a chance for Washington to draw a blocking foul in transition. Golden State unsuccessfully challenged the play with Curry having his right heel on the charge circle. Washington split the pair of free throws, keeping Dallas ahead by only two with 22.5 seconds remaining.

Curry was deployed as a Ghost screener to create a chance for him to attack off the catch with space to operate. He took a step-back from mid-range to tie it up at 106-106 with 12.4 seconds on the clock.

Irving drew a double team on the catch after the Mavs inbounded the ball, resulting in a drive for Hardaway to drop it off to Washington for a finish, putting them back ahead by two with 4.5 seconds.

"I saw Draymond had his head toward Tim, and he was driving," Washington said. "I thought he was going shoot it so I try to get a rebound, and he passed it, so I just tried to make a play and win the game.”

After blitzing Curry, the ball found Thompson in the corner for one final shot, but he missed as the buzzer sounded. The Mavs' goal was clear: don't let Curry get a clean shot.

"It definitely felt like one of those games that could have gone either way just because of the emotions, and physically, you have every excuse in the world to throw out there," Irving said. "We played last night. They played last night. We're all tired. We were down a few guys, and I think we had that next-man-up mentality, and it got to the wire, and it could have gone either way, but I'm glad we pulled this one out."

Kidd provided an update on Doncic's injury, but didn't reveal much information about his potential status for the team's next game. The focus is on his health as opposed to pressing for a specific seed in the Western Conference standings.

"[His injury] shouldn't be long-term, so we'll see," Kidd said.

Looking ahead, the Mavs will take on the Houston Rockets on Sunday afternoon. With it being a European primetime tipoff, it would surely take a lot for Doncic to not play.