DALLAS – Three down, one remains. Make your plans for the NBA Finals – this streak is over.
The Warriors came out and played with intention from the start, and although there were some lulls along the way, they once again proved to be the better team with a 109-100 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Sunday night in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals at the American Airlines Center.
Golden State now leads the series three games to zero.
Steph Curry continued to put on a show, scoring a 31-point double-double. He also had 11 assists and five 3-pointers. He has now made at least five 3-pointers in a record 53 playoff games.
Andrew Wiggins had his first playoff performance 20-10, and he might have been the best player on the court for either team.
Klay Thompson scored 19 points, but continues to struggle with his 3-point shot.
Mavs star Luka Doncic scored 40 points and Spencer Dinwiddie added 26 off the bench, but Dallas got absolutely nothing from Maxi Kleber and Reggie Bullock.
Now we head into Game 4 on Tuesday night with the Warriors looking to end it with a sweep.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors one win away from the NBA Finals.
Another injury to Otto Porter Jr.
After several consecutive possessions with a limp and a grimace, Otto Porter Jr. had had enough. He must have come out with a left foot problem. With nine minutes remaining in the second quarter, Porter limped to the Warriors locker room with coach Rick Celebreni.
He did not return and was ruled out for the night with left foot pain early in the third quarter.
Porter has been a key bench contributor for the Warriors throughout the season, especially in the playoffs. The King of Plus-Minus does the dirty work, gives the Warriors a bouncy presence and had one of the smoothest mid-range jump shots in the league. It’s also not the first time he’s been injured in the playoffs.
The veteran forward missed the second half of the Warriors’ Game 5 last-round loss to the Memphis Grizzlies with right foot pain and was ruled out for their Game 6 win. In the first two Conference Finals games, Porter averaged 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds, and was a plus-27 overall.
Win with Wiggins
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Andrew Wiggins once again scored a huge hit for the Warriors in a playoff win. This is the story now. Nothing else.
The Warriors’ Energizer Bunny was relentless on both sides of the ball, never showing a slight case of fatigue. Wiggins scored 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds – six on offense and five on defense. It was a game record plus-22. Oh yeah, someone better print this poster.
Sunday night was Wiggins’ third double-double in these playoffs. All have participated in the last six games.
Wiggins is now averaging 15.8 points and 8.0 rebounds over his last four games. He’s a plus-86 combined in that span.
Question on the big bench
The severity of Porter’s injury is unknown at this time. But if he can’t make Game 4 or beyond, Steve Kerr might have a bit of a problem on his hands. Juan Toscano-Anderson replaced Porter when he went down. Is this the plan moving forward?
All in all, it was a tough night for Golden State’s reserves. In the first half, the Warriors bench was a combined minus-38 and scored just two points — two from Porter and two from Jordan Poole. Math may not be my thing, but it’s not ideal.
After two huge performances to start the series, Poole couldn’t find his stroke and scored just 10 points. The only positive is that his two 3-pointers were absolutely massive.
Rookie Moses Moody is now entrenched in the playoff rotation against Damion Lee, and although he played solid defense against Doncic and Brunson, he was 12 under and the Mavs begged him to shoot. He missed all three of his shot attempts, all of which came from beyond the arc.
The Warriors must first determine whether Porter will be back soon or out for an extended period. If it is the latter, several players must intervene.