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 After the first-year coach abruptly called a timeout, he thoroughly
enjoyed the remaining 2,794 seconds of the evening.
Despite drawing the ire of their coach by falling behind 6-0, the
Warriors improved their league-best home record to 26-2 in dominant
fashion, gradually pulling away from the Mavericks en route to a
104-89 victory.
"When you don't follow the game plan on the first three (offensive)
possessions, something is wrong," Kerr said of his reaction to the
opening the game. "I was upset. I wanted to get the message across."
Kerr said he had visions of the last Warriors-Mavericks meeting on
Feb. 4, during which Dallas raced off to a 40-18 lead in the 11th
minute before Golden State rallied to win.
"The last time we played this team, it was like 42-6 after five
minutes," Kerr incorrectly recalled. "I didn't want that to happen
again."
It didn't -- thanks to a defense that held the Mavericks to
36.8-percent shooting and an offense that took advantage of the
opportunities created by 13 Dallas turnovers and a 51-34 rebounding
advantage.
"The way we defended and the way we were able to get out and run,
that won the game for us," observed Warriors power forward Draymond
Green, who helped limit Mavericks star forward Dirk Nowitzki to
5-for-16 shooting. "That's important because we're not going to have
a good offensive game every night. We were able to do what we needed
to do defensively to win the game."
Point guard Stephen Curry bombed in five 3-pointers, Green had 18
points, and center Andrew Bogut pulled 13 rebounds as the Warriors
(48-12) remained unbeaten at Oracle Arena since Jan. 27 with their
22nd double-digit blowout of the season.
The win was the Warriors' fifth straight at home and third in a row
this season over the Mavericks, clinching the season series. Golden
State has beaten Dallas six consecutive times in all.
Still, Kerr was not happy with the offensive effort.
"We've gotten worse on the offensive end," he complained. "I have no
idea what I was looking at. It was really a poor performance.
"Fortunately, we can play off our defense."
Curry shot 5-for-8 from 3-point range and 6-for-11 overall en route
to a game-high 22 points. He had 51 points in the Feb. 4 meeting.
The Warriors scorched the nets at a 47.8-percent clip (11 of 23)
from 3-point range, outscoring the Mavericks 33-18 from beyond the
arc. That helped offset a whopping 22 turnovers.
Green just missed a double-double with nine rebounds to go with his
18 points. He did not play in the fourth quarter.
Bogut complemented his game-high rebound total with three blocked
shots, all of which came in the third quarter, during which the
Warriors extended a 12-point halftime lead to 82-64.
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The Warriors had a season-high-tying 11 blocks in all.
"I have been in this league for 17 years," Nowitzki noted. "Even
during our great years, our championship years, it is not all
smiles."
Shooting guard Klay Thompson added 16 points for the Warriors,
dropping in a pair of 3-pointers, and backup guard Shaun Livingston
recorded a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double off the bench.
Point guard Rajon Rondo and Nowitzki had 14 points apiece for the
Mavericks (40-24), who had played the night before in Portland while
Golden State was enjoying the day off.
Dallas caps a four-day, three-game trip Sunday in Los Angeles
against the Lakers.
"These are two tough games, and we didn't play well really in either
one of them, which is disappointing," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle
said. "But we have to circle the wagons and get ready for Sunday.
Where we are, the next win is going to be the best win."
Rondo hit only six of his 15 shots. Shooting guard Monta Ellis
endured a 2-for-14 nightmare, and is now just 17-for-55 against the
Warriors this season.
Ellis finished with six points.
"I take the responsibility," Carlisle said of the poor shooting
nights by Nowitzki and Ellis. "I have to work harder at it."
Reserve big man Amar'e Stoudemire added 12 points in 18 minutes for
the Mavericks, who never led after the first 5:04 of the game.
NOTES: The Warriors have won 14 consecutive home games against
Western Conference teams. ... The Warriors have won 34 games by 10
or more points, becoming just the eighth team in NBA history to
record that distinction in the first 60 games of a season. ... The
second of Warriors C Andrew Bogut's four assists was the 300th of
his career. ... Warriors fourth-year SG Klay Thompson dropped in two
3-pointers, giving him 725 in his career, just one shy of Golden
State coach Steve Kerr's 15-year total of 726. ... The Mavericks
were without reserve G Devin Harris, who bruised his right hand in
Thursday's loss at Portland. X-rays were negative, and Dallas coach
Rick Carlisle hasn't ruled the veteran out of Sunday's trip finale
in Los Angeles against the Lakers. ... Veteran backup PF Amar'e
Stoudemire played his first back-to-back since joining the Mavericks
seven games ago.
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