Mavericks at Warriors
The Golden State Warriors seem to be completely recovered from the slump that resulted in a two-game slide and are back to their winning ways on both sides of the ball. The Warriors will try to push their latest winning streak to three in a row when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. The Mavericks will once again be without point guard Rajon Rondo, who did not make the trip with the team due to a broken nose and left orbital fracture.
Golden State outscored Phoenix and Sacramento by a total of 44 points in back-to-back wins and held each team under 100 points to get the defense back in shape. The Warriors held Dallas to 40.4 percent from the field and 5-of-25 from beyond the arc in a 105-98 win on the road on Dec. 13 while Stephen Curry led the way with 29 points and eight assists. The Mavericks have been stout on the defensive end as well of late, holding opponents to an average of 86.3 points during a three-game winning streak.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Southwest (Dallas), CSN Bay Area (Golden State)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (33-17): Rondo has failed to score in double figures in 12 of the last 14 games and went scoreless with five turnovers in a loss to Houston last week before Dallas began to turn things around. The former All-Star went down two minutes into a win at Orlando on Saturday and J.J. Barea started in his spot during Monday’s 100-94 triumph over Minnesota. “We don’t want to be in this predicament, but it happens in this league and guys have just got to work and be ready,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle told reporters of the injury situation. “That’s where we are.”
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (38-8): Golden State’s depth is a big part of the reason the team owns the best winning percentage in the NBA, and the Warriors showed off the length of their roster when the bench scored 61 points in the 121-96 win at Sacramento on Tuesday. Curry led the starters with 23 points but was only needed for 29 minutes – the most of any of the starting five. The extra rest could pay off as Golden State plays the Mavericks in the second of a stretch of four games in five nights, which includes a showdown at Atlanta on Friday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Warriors lead the NBA with 19 games of at least 30 assists.
2. Dallas G Devin Harris (ankle) is questionable for Wednesday.
3. Golden State has won 29 games by double digits – the franchise’s most in a single season since posting 32 in 1975-76.