DALLAS (AP) — The front of their jerseys said “San Francisco” and the names on the back weren’t the same Golden State Warriors that reached the past five NBA Finals.
The Dallas Mavericks took full advantage.
Luka Doncic scored 33 of his 35 points in the first half and had yet another triple-double to help Dallas hammer short-handed Warriors 142-94 on Wednesday night.
Doncic fell a point short of matching Dirk Nowitzki’s team record for points in a half, set Nov. 3, 2009, against Utah. Doncic was 10 for 11 from the floor, making 6 of 7 3-pointers, and hit 7 of 8 free throws.
The second-year star from Slovenia was coming off a 40-point triple-double Monday. With his team up big on this night, Doncic played only 25 minutes total, but still managed 10 rebounds and 11 assists. He has an NBA-best seven triple-doubles in 14 games.
“If he had kept playing today, he probably would have had 50 (points),” teammate Tim Hardaway Jr. said. “He’s doing a great job playing with the utmost confidence.”
Doncic had 22 points, five assists and five rebounds in the first quarter alone.
“I see (the stats), but I don’t know what to say,” Doncic said. “It’s great to read about. I just enjoy the basketball.”
The Mavericks tied a franchise record with 22 3-pointers while sending Golden State to its worst loss since a 1973 playoff game.
“Flush it down the toilet,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said when asked what his team can take away from the game. “Literally, you just move on. You don’t take anything from a game like this.”
Rookie Eric Paschall led the Warriors with 22 points.
Tim Hardaway Jr. added 20 for Dallas. Kristaps Porzingis had 14 points and 10 rebounds for his fourth-straight double-double.
WOUNDED WARRIORS
The Warriors are an NBA-worst 3-13. Their five-year run of at the top of the NBA has collapsed under a weight of injuries, with Draymond Green out Wednesday because of right heel soreness.
With Green out, Golden State dressed only eight players, none of whom suited up for the team last season when it made the NBA Finals for the fifth consecutive year.
Kerr could at least find humor in the Warriors’ result.
“Tough to lose by 48 points, but a break here or there and it only would have been 42 points,” Kerr said, then paused and added, “Nobody caught the sarcasm? I was trying to be funny.”
SUPERNOVAS
Paschall, Warriors teammate Omari Spellman and the Mavs’ Jalen Brunson all started for Villanova during their run to the 2018 national championship. All finished in double figures on Wednesday, with Brunson scoring 15 on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting night. Spellman had 11 for Golden State.
“It’s always great playing against all my Villanova guys,” said Paschall, holding Brunson’s Dallas jersey that his former teammate had given him after the game. “It proves what Coach (Jay) Wright has done.”
HARDAWAY MAKES IT LOOK EASY
Hardaway got the start in place of Seth Curry, who was ill, and he took advantage of the assignment, tying his season high with 20 points.
“I just wanted to see a couple go in,” Hardaway said. “I wanted to go in there and make a presence for myself and for the team.”
TIP-INS
Warriors: One of the few things that went the Warriors’ way was when coach Steve Kerr challenged a defensive foul call on Willie Cauley-Stein with 1:56 left in the first half, and the call was reversed into an offensive foul on Dallas’ Dwight Powell.
Mavericks: Dallas previously made 22 3s in a game twice, the last time in February against Milwaukee.
UP NEXT
Warriors: At Utah on Friday night.
Mavericks: Host Cleveland on Friday night.
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