DALLAS — Stephen Curry shimmied for the TV crew, Andrew Wiggins shook Luka Doncic with a posterizing dunk and the Warriors are pondering sweep.
Curry scored 31 factors, Wiggins’ playoff profession excessive 27 factors included the dunk that was initially referred to as an offensive foul and Golden State beat the Dallas Mavericks 109-100 Sunday night time for a 3-0 lead within the Western Convention finals.
“He’s wanting like Dominique Wilkins on the market,” Klay Thompson mentioned of Wiggins after scoring 19 factors because the Warriors moved to the brink of the NBA Finals, three years after the tip of a five-year run that yielded three championships.
Golden State, which swept Portland in its most up-to-date West finals in 2019 earlier than Toronto gained the title, goes for the sweep in Sport 4 on Tuesday in Dallas. No staff has rallied from 3-0 right down to win an NBA playoff sequence.
“I really like the place we’re in,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr mentioned. “I really like the truth that our staff got here in and received the win tonight. This was the one we felt like we needed to get. Coming right here up 2-0, you’ve received to make the most of your momentum.”
Doncic scored 40 and beat the first-quarter buzzer with a 32-footer that received the gang going with the Mavericks once more at house trailing 2-0, as they did towards top-seeded Phoenix earlier than profitable the West semifinal sequence in seven video games.
However that shimmy-inducing bucket from the younger famous person was a blip on an in any other case tough night time from 3-point vary for the Mavericks, who missed their first seven and completed 13 of 45.
Reggie Bullock and Maxi Kleber, two long-range specialists for Dallas, missed all 12 of their 3s mixed and had been 0-15 total. Each went scoreless, offsetting Spencer Dinwiddie’s 26 factors off the bench. Jalen Brunson scored 20.
Wiggins’ one-handed dunk over Doncic halfway by the fourth quarter was referred to as a foul as a result of his elbow made contact round Doncic’s neck as Doncic jerked backward and fell. However the replay ruling after Kerr challenged was incidental contact, giving Golden State a 93-83 lead.
“I received hit a little bit bit, however that was spectacular,” Doncic mentioned. “I’m not going to lie. I noticed the video once more, and I used to be like, ‘Oh …’ That was fairly unimaginable. I want had these bunnies.”
A few minute later, Wiggins, who matched his playoff profession excessive with 11 rebounds, moved shortly down the appropriate baseline for a comply with dunk on a miss by Curry.
“Simply feeling the power,” Wiggins mentioned of his dunk over Doncic. “That’s the primary factor after I seen the rim. That’s all I seen. They tried to take it away from me, however …” Wiggins mentioned, interrupting himself with amusing earlier than thanking Kerr for the problem.
Curry scored 11 factors within the third quarter, giving the Warriors their largest lead at 78-64 with a step-back 3 within the remaining minute and turning to the nationwide TV crew for a close-up view of his shoulder shimmy.
Doncic scored 21 factors within the fourth quarter because the Mavericks tried desperately to shut the hole, however fell to 2-6 in his three playoff seasons when the 23-year-old, three-time All-Star scores at the least 40 factors.
One in every of Dinwiddie’s 3-pointers received Dallas inside 5 factors with 1:15 remaining, however Jordan Poole answered with one from the left wing simply inside the ultimate minute.
The Mavericks, enjoying previous the primary spherical since first-year coach Jason Kidd was the purpose on the Dirk Nowitzki-led staff that gained the 2011 title, misplaced a nine-point lead within the remaining 4 minutes of the primary half two nights after failing to carry a 19-point lead on the street in a Sport 2 loss.
“That is just the start of this journey,” Kidd mentioned. “I do know you guys have us profitable the championship earlier than the season began. And that’s a joke in case you didn’t get it. This can be a lot larger than simply this one recreation or this sequence. That is large for our franchise as a result of none of you guys had us right here.”
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