So the Mavericks will match up with Golden State on Wednesday night and Steph Curry will be out with a sprained ankle.
It’s kind of like hearing an opera without the fat lady singing.
So we turn our attention to the other performers, many of whom can make great music on their own.
Such as Daniel Gafford, who does nothing but hit every note perfectly. Or at least, every basket. After making all nine of his shots at Chicago on Monday, the 6-10 center now has made 28 shots in a row from the field, the NBA record for most consecutive made field-goal attempts dating to 1996 when those records started being kept.
Admittedly, most of them are dunks or layups. But you still have to make them. And the Arkansas product who joined the Mavericks last month at the trade deadline has become a trusted partner for Luka Dončić on the pick-and-roll. He’s a big reason why the Mavericks’ superstar point guard has averaged 11.2 assists in the 13 games since Gafford (and P.J. Washington) arrived with the Mavericks (also, 34.5 points, 10 rebounds per game).
They are 8-5 during those games.
Dončić, of course, has had a triple-double in seven consecutive games, tying the third-longest streak in NBA history. He’s also got 73 of them for his career, which ranks ninth all-time.
So even without Curry, there is lots to watch for tonight, including:
- Warriors’ forward Jonathan Kuminga has emerged as a most-improved player candidate as he has moved into the starting lineup and increased his scoring to 16.6 points per game (from 9.9 last season). He’s not Gafford, but he can run off a lot of shots in a row. He tied a franchise record with most buckets without a miss by going 11-for-11 on Jan. 23 against Atlanta (tying Chris Mullin).
- The Warriors are tough out on the road, having gone 17-13, including winning 15 of their last 21. They had an eight-game road win streak in that stretch.
- They also have played an NBA-leading 38 clutch games this season and are 18-20 in those games. So a tight finish wouldn’t be surprising tonight.
- Rookie Brandin Podziemski (19th overall pick) has been a fixture in the Warriors’ rotation, averaging 9.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He also leads the NBA in charges taken with 33. His six double-doubles are fourth among rookies behind Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren and Dereck Lively II.
- Speaking of Lively, he is coming off his season-best 22 points (with seven rebounds) in Monday’s win at Chicago. He and Gafford combined to hit 20-of-21 shots from the field in that game, a pretty decent accuracy level from the center position.
- The Mavericks have won three in a row after losing five of six. This also is the first game they’ve had against a Western Conference foe since Feb. 22 (nine in a row vs. the East). From here, the Mavericks continue a challenging run of the schedule with a back-to-back Thursday at Oklahoma City, then will play defending NBA champion Denver at AAC on Sunday.
- The Mavericks are in a torrid playoff chase with the Suns and Kings, all of whom are within a game of each other for the sixth, seventh and eighth playoff spots in the West. Only the sixth-place finisher is assured a playoff spot. The other two will have to fight through the play-in tournament. And the Lakers and Warriors are close behind if anybody stumbles.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (34-30) at MAVERICKS (37-28)
- When/where: 7:30 p.m.Wednesday, American Airlines Center, Dallas.
- TV: WFAA (Ch. 8), UniMas.
- Radio: 97.1 FM The Freak; 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish).
X: @ESefko
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