Warriors take care of business vs. Dallas, but little more

The Golden State Warriors took care of business on Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks, beating them 128-120 at Oracle Arena — their 52nd consecutive win at home. The game wasn’t a beauty, by any stretch, but it was plenty good enough to beat the reeling Mavs.

Coach Steve Kerr called the team’s defense “horrific,” which is no way for a team to head into the postseason. Then again, the Warriors are still getting it done — even when they’re not at their best. It’s the sign of a great team.

On Friday night’s “Dubs Postgame” show, we talked about several aspects to Friday’s game. You can download the “Dubs Postgame” show right here. Here are some of the talking points about last night’s game.

–J.J. Barea, Wes Matthews and Raymond Felton did some damage last night at the offensive end for the Mavericks. It’s obvious that teams are trying to attack Stephen Curry at the defensive end. Is that cause for concern if you’re a Warriors fan?

–The Warriors took 45 3-pointers last night and only 43 2-pointers. If ever there was a sign of the way the game is going, that is it. If you want to beat the Warriors, you’re not going to do by allowing 45 3-point shots, which includes 21 makes.

If you look at the Warriors’ 10 remaining games, there might not be a lot of tough ones on the schedule. Even the Warriors’ two remaining games against the Spurs might be underwhelming because everything will likely be settled by the second-to-last week of the season. Because that’s the case, the Warriors are going to have find a way to challenge themselves.

–Andre Iguodala seems to be coming along well, and Steve Kerr suggested last night before the game the small forward could return next week.

–The Mavericks rested Dirk Nowitzki and Deron Williams last night. Dallas coach Rick Carlisle’s team plays a back-to-back set against the Kings and Denver Nuggets on Sunday and Monday. Since winning Friday’s game against the Warriors was such a longshot, Carlisle decided to cut his losses and give two of his players a rest.

The idea of good teams resting their players has become a point of contention in the league. The idea of mediocre teams vying for the No. 8 spot resting players against elite teams in order to save them against more comparable teams is an interesting offshoot that could garner a little more scrutiny.

–Former Warriors forward David Lee picked up his championship ring on Friday and did it to a very warm reception. While Lee was criticized in some circles for his lack of defense, the reality is he was one of the most well-liked Golden State players in recent memory.

 

 

Advertisement

About Steinmetz

Matt Steinmetz is a veteran San Francisco Bay Area sports journalist. He covered the Golden State Warriors for the Bay Area News Group for more than a decade before becoming a television analyst with Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. Steinmetz can be heard on "Steiny & Guru" on 95.7-FM The Game in San Francisco, from 12-3.
This entry was posted in Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Warriors and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.