The Dallas Mavericks have avoided an early play-off exit. The Texans won 119-109 (62-47) against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night (local time) in the Western Conference finals.
The Texans cut the deficit in the best-of-seven series to 1-3, with Luka Doncic missing a triple double with 30 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists by just one assist. The Slovenian got plenty of offensive support this time. Dorian Finney-Smith (23 points), Reggie Bullock (18) and Maxi Kleber (13, plus eight rebounds) hit more than half of their shots, including from the three-point line. Golden State’s starting five around Stephen Curry (20) in particular did not have a good day.
By the end of the third quarter, the Mavericks were leading by 29 points. When Dallas took the air out a little too early in the final quarter, the Warriors came back to within eight points with three minutes to go. But in the final phase Dallas was able to hold on to the lead. “When we play like this, we are a dangerous team,” Doncic said after the game.
Golden State now has the next chance to make it to the NBA Finals on Thursday night in their own arena. Never in the 75-year history of the NBA has a team squandered a 3-0 lead in a play-off series.