Warriors at Mavericks
Questions about the chemistry on the world champion Golden State Warriors got even louder after a terrible performance in a loss at Houston on Thursday, but the players don't seem in any rush to talk about the issues. The Warriors will try to get on the same page and bounce back when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
Kevin Durant was terse with reporters following the 107-86 loss to Houston, refusing to answer any questions about his relationship with fellow All-Star forward Draymond Green, but coach Steve Kerr offered an assessment of where his team stands. "We're banged up a little bit physically and right now we're banged up spiritually," Kerr told reporters. "There's no getting around that. So, we've got to fill up our cup and get our spirit back, get our energy back, and we're going to. It's a long, long season. It's a tough stretch we're dealing with, but I know our guys." Golden State will have to figure things out quickly to top a Mavericks team that is rolling with wins in three straight and dominated the Utah Jazz in a 118-68 victory on Wednesday. "They had a horrible night, but we had something to do with that," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. "But we're not this good and they're not that bad. That's the reality of the NBA. We've got to do everything possible to build on this. That's the bottom line."
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (Golden State), FS Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (12-4): Green was suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team after a shouting match with Durant during and after a 121-116 loss at the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday and went scoreless on 0-of-3 shooting in his return on Thursday. "Draymond may not have had his best night tonight, in fact he played very poorly," Kerr told reporters. "But I liked his approach. He was genuine out there. He was competing. Nothing went his way, but I like where he's heading. And now the rest of the team, we've got to all lift our spirits up and get back on the saddle. But we're going through a little bit of a rough patch." The Warriors went 4-of-18 from 3-point range in the loss, with Durant, Green and Klay Thompson a combined 0-of-9 from beyond the arc.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (6-8): Dallas held the Jazz to 22 points in the second half in the best defensive performance in terms of scoring for any team in the NBA this season. The Mavericks held each of the last three opponents under 100 points after allowing an average of 115.3 points during a 3-8 start. "You can tell our disposition, especially the last practice," reserve guard Devin Harris told reporters after the win. "We approached the last three games, we've had a little bit - I wouldn't say a chip - but there's been something around the team where guys were sick and tired of what we've been seeing and were ready to do something about it."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Warriors PG Stephen Curry is expected to miss his fourth straight game with a groin injury.
2. Dallas rookie SF Luka Doncic is day-to-day after suffering a left shoulder injury on Wednesday.
3. Golden State took the last 10 meetings in the series.