GDT: Warriors vs. Mavs 12/30/15 7:30pm CT

[Underdog]

There's no more fitting image for the NBA in 2015 than a member of the Golden State Warriors -- usually Stephen Curry -- nailing a 3-pointer to either fire up Oracle Arena or turn a road venue silent.

To close out the best year in franchise history 30 games over .500, they'll have to beat a pair of teams equally happy to fire away from long distance -- though it's possible Curry won't play either time.

A leg injury could keep Curry sidelined for one or both tough challenges awaiting the Warriors before the calendar flips to 2016, opening a two-game Texas trip Wednesday night against a Dallas Mavericks team that's been lighting it up behind the arc.

That's exactly what Golden State (29-1) did in its last home game of a year that saw it finish a 67-win regular season and earn the franchise's first championship in 40 years while producing its first MVP since Wilt Chamberlain. Curry hit five 3-pointers in the final 3:15 of the first half -- a quarter of the Warriors' 20 3s -- on his way to a triple-double in Monday's 122-103 victory over Sacramento.

Curry, though, is battling a lower left leg injury, interim coach Luke Walton told the San Jose Mercury News.

"There's a chance that he won't play in one or both," Walton said of Curry's status for the road trip. "... He hasn't said anything except for he wants to play. Even (Monday) in the game when I saw him in the game limping, and I tried to take him out, he gave the wave-off and said that it was fine."

Curry hasn't missed a game this season, and the Warriors lost the only two he sat out last season.

While Golden State's perimeter game will obviously be affected if the NBA leader in 3-pointers doesn't play, another concern for Walton is defending the 3-point line.

The Kings hit 13 3s in 31 attempts Monday, nine during a first half in which they put up 61 points and drew the ire of both recovering coach Steve Kerr at intermission and their current bench boss after it was over.

"Even though we can beat teams in a pick-up style game where the ball is getting slung around and guys are just catching and shooting, we need to work on being champions," Walton said. "That's executing on offense, that's protecting the ball and that's competing on the defensive end."

The Warriors could have their hands full defending the arc again against Dallas (18-13) and Houston, where they visit Thursday. Both teams have attempted more 3s per game in December than the Warriors' 30.1, and the Mavericks' 12.1 average makes since Dec. 6 lead the league while their 39.3 percentage trails only Washington and New Orleans.

Dallas hasn't been able to approach the Warriors' efficiency beyond the arc in recent meetings. Golden State has won the last seven, outscoring the Mavericks 279-153 from deep.

As they cap one of the best calendar years in NBA history, there are a few more milestones on the table for the Warriors in Texas. With a win Tuesday, they'll match the 2012 Spurs for the most wins in one year (72) since the 1996 Bulls won an NBA-record 74. And with victories in both Dallas and Houston, they'll be the first team to be 30 games over .500 on Jan. 1 since the 1971-72 Lakers were 36-3.

"It doesn't sound right," Curry said of the Warriors' many milestones. "We've been playing this game for many, many years and we're just trying not to focus on the numbers but just how we're playing."

The Mavericks had to focus on the one team that beat Golden State before getting a crack at the champs themselves, and they made it three straight wins by beating Milwaukee 103-93 on Monday while forcing 18 turnovers and committing just four.

"We weren't even thinking about Golden State," Wesley Matthews said after scoring a game-high 22. "You know, it was Chicago, and then it was Milwaukee. We can't overlook any team. We're not in a position to, and our margin for error is too small to do anything like that."

Both teams are banged up. Deron Williams has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury and is uncertain for Wednesday, though J.J. Barea has averaged 22 points and hit 13 3s in his absence.

Besides Curry's calf injury, Festus Ezeli came out of the Kings game with a foot injury but is expected to face the Mavs. Leandro Barbosa (shoulder) and Harrison Barnes (ankle) won't play on this trip, though Barnes is nearing a return.

http://espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=400828367

[Melonhead]

Curry- "pretty slim" chance of playing
Barnes- out
Barbosa- out
Ezeli- out

Warriors are losing a game, whether it's tonight or tomorrow @houston. Take advantage Mavs.

[EricaLubarsky]

Williams day-to-day but has been for a while. We can certainly use his shooting

[TripleDipping]

Originally Posted by Melonhead

Curry- "pretty slim" chance of playing
Barnes- out
Barbosa- out
Ezeli- out

Warriors are losing a game, whether it's tonight or tomorrow @houston. Take advantage Mavs.

Damn that kinda pisses me off as I've been looking forward to this game. Don't get me wrong as I think the chances of beating GS at their full force is very slim. But now it's either "short handed Warriors lost" or "Mavs lost to short handed Warriors".

[rimrocker]

Originally Posted by TripleDipping

Damn that kinda pisses me off as I've been looking forward to this game. Don't get me wrong as I think the chances of beating GS at their full force is very slim. But now it's either "short handed Warriors lost" or "Mavs lost to short handed Warriors".

Lets hope its not the latter.
There'll be other chances to play them at full strength so we just need to take advantage of this golden opportunity and not squander it.

[Skywalker]

Hopefully the earlier transgression didn't hurt our mojo.

[rimrocker]

Originally Posted by TripleDipping

Damn that kinda pisses me off as I've been looking forward to this game. Don't get me wrong as I think the chances of beating GS at their full force is very slim. But now it's either "short handed Warriors lost" or "Mavs lost to short handed Warriors".

Lets hope its not the latter.

There'll be other opportunities to play them at full strength so we just need to take advantage of this golden opportunity and not squander it.

[j0Shi]

Originally Posted by TripleDipping

Damn that kinda pisses me off as I've been looking forward to this game. Don't get me wrong as I think the chances of beating GS at their full force is very slim. But now it's either "short handed Warriors lost" or "Mavs lost to short handed Warriors".

The standings don't care about context.

[Melonhead]

Originally Posted by TripleDipping

Damn that kinda pisses me off as I've been looking forward to this game. Don't get me wrong as I think the chances of beating GS at their full force is very slim. But now it's either "short handed Warriors lost" or "Mavs lost to short handed Warriors".

We have plenty of more chances to get blown out by a healthy warriors team. As long as we get a win tonight I don't care who was on the floor. Media has never favored the mavs. And for it to be their second loss, there's nothing wrong with the tag line being short handed warriors lose. It's a bigger story.

Mavs just have to do it now.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

I feel like the Mavs do worse when the opposing team's best player/players sit. Still gonna be very difficult to win.

Eh well, Go Mavs!

[sefant77]

we just love to lose against shorthanded opponents, so this is an easy loss

[yahyes]

Well no Deron and almost 100 percent Parsons. Mavs can win it if they get physical with golden state. They'll probably use Draymond Green the most. Gotta keep a eye on that 6'7 player who also plays center at random times. Mavs gotta box up hard.

[GermanDunk]

uiui

[rimrocker]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

I feel like the Mavs do worse when the opposing team's best player/players sit. Still gonna be very difficult to win.

Eh well, Go Mavs!

As long as Donald Sloan isn't on their roster we should be fine

[Dan1]

Gotta take this chance. Warriors is a completely different team without Curry (and no Ezeli and Barnes helps). Let's not kid ourselves, a fully healthy GSW team at this point of the season would mean a blowout.

[Underdog]

Let's help the Dubs earn #2 tonight...

[turin]

Looking forward to this game mainly to see if Parsons and Matthews can start building some consistency in their game. 1 good game out of every 3 or 4 isn't going to cut it.

[yahyes]

Wouldn't hurt to try and make it a fast break game.

[AO41]

Good start...let keep it up.

Parsons look so slow..his drives are so slow and predictable.

[Melonhead]

My goodness I'm loving the penetration by the guards tonight and not relying on jumpers. GS is letting the mavs get what they want in there too

[yahyes]

So far it's looking interesting with the starters catching on to each others playing

[yahyes]

But I mean really... you have got to run up the score as much as you can on golden state. Even with curry out. Klay is just as sneaky.

[Melonhead]

Get CV out of there

[Melonhead]

Zaza beasting out here

[Melonhead]

Got damn Zaza I have a man crush on him almost on a level of Dirk. Hope his back is okay

[Dan1]

Man, we are playing really well. Lot of confidence.

[howdoesmydirktaste]

Honestly, Zaza doesn't really make me miss Chandler that much. He's a baller. Straight up.

It's also obvious that without Curry, "small ball" doesn't really work for Golden State.

[howdoesmydirktaste]

Ouch. Two back to back stupid decisions by JJ there

[howdoesmydirktaste]

Dirk! Throw it down big man!

[Skywalker]

DIRKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

[yahyes]

Solid half

[EricaLubarsky]

Nice hustle

[sefant77]

Solid....we are attacking and killing them inside because of their missing bigger players

Barea ended the half trying to be waaay to fancy

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by howdoesmydirktaste

Honestly, Zaza doesn't really make me miss Chandler that much. He's a baller. Straight up.

It's also obvious that without Curry, "small ball" doesn't really work for Golden State.

I still think '11 Tyson was a legend. Top-5 rebounder and an elite defensive presence. Last few years? Not so much. His current play and Zaza's dont diminish his past performance, but yes. I am very happy with Zaza, particularly for how cheap he was

[Underdog]

Great 1st half, so let's not piss this away in the 2nd half...

[howdoesmydirktaste]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

I still think '11 Tyson was a legend. Top-5 rebounder and an elite defensive presence. Last few years? Not so much. His current play and Zaza's dont diminish his past performance, but yes. I am very happy with Zaza, particularly for how cheap he was

Yeah. I should clarify. I'm talking about the Tyson we didn't keep after last year vs the Zaza we have this year.

[Cerberus]

JJ Curry

[DevinHarriswillstart]

No call on Livingston? really?

[Underdog]

Dirk.

[howdoesmydirktaste]

I know there's a lot of game left, and I know there's no Curry, but if we win this it will feel really good. Plus, a lot of our opponents in the West will have to face Curry 4X this year and we won't. Whatever helps us move up in the standings.