Warriors at Mavericks
The Golden State Warriors are back on course after a recent funk and shoot for their fifth consecutive victory when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. Golden State endured a three-game losing skid prior to bouncing back with the winning streak and was sharp while rolling to a 111-95 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
The Warriors' brief decline occurred after Kevin Durant suffered a knee injury but the team now looks adjusted to playing without the All-Star forward. Golden State is averaging 114 points during the winning stretch after averaging just 91 during the three-game skid. Dallas is opening a pivotal four-game homestand as it attempts to chase down the Denver Nuggets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Mavericks are 2 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Nuggets while the Portland Trail Blazers also stand two games ahead of Dallas.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (Golden State), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (56-14): Shooting guard Klay Thompson drained seven 3-pointers while scoring 34 points on 12-of-21 shooting against the Thunder as the Warriors increased their lead in the West to 2 1/2 games over the second-place San Antonio Spurs. Thompson is averaging 28 points with 20 3-pointers during the winning streak and has registered six consecutive 20-point outings. "I've been playing well the last few games," Thompson said after the win over Oklahoma City. "Got a lot of great looks. It's as simple as knocking them down."
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (30-39): Guard Yogi Ferrell was terrific upon joining Dallas but his production has slowed down and he is saddled with four consecutive single-digit outings. The 23-year-old is averaging 6.5 points on 7-of-24 shooting during the stretch but coach Rick Carlisle remains appreciative of Ferrell's contributions. "We desperately needed a guy that could play the position and hold the fort," Carlisle told reporters. "I wasn't sure he was going to be a starter right away, but the way we were structured at the time it seemed like the best way to go. He started the first game, did a lot of good things and had a really terrific first couple of weeks."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Warriors won five straight meetings and 12 of the past 13 with the Mavericks.
2. Dallas SF Harrison Barnes scored 25 points in both of this season's meetings against the club he played for the past four seasons.
3. Golden State PG Stephen Curry is 13-of-20 from 3-point range the past two games and has notched 10 straight 20-point outings.