What we learned as the Warriors came up short in the shootout against the Mavs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX score

SAN FRANCISCO – Too much Luka Dončić, too little time for the Warriors in a 143-133 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night at Chase Center.

What a difference in style a game makes. A few days after the early elimination in the NBA Cup quarterfinals with 91:90, the Warriors trailed the Mavericks 81:74 in the first two quarters as defense was apparently optional.

Offensive wasn’t an issue for the Warriors. For the first time all season, the Warriors had four players score 20 or more points. Andrew Wiggins scored a team-high 29 points, followed by 26 from Steph Curry, 21 from Draymond Green and 20 from Jonathan Kuminga.

The Warriors’ 3-point shooting kept them in the game all night long. It’s also almost impossible to win when a superstar like Dončić records a triple-double of 45 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists while missing just seven shots and just two 2-pointers.

Klay Thompson dropped 29 points in his second game against the Warriors, including 13 big ones in the fourth quarter.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ loss to the Mavs.

Cool hand Luka

However, the Oklahoma City Thunder got Dončić to score just 16 points in Dallas’ last game, but the Warriors didn’t get the memo. From start to finish, Dončić did whatever he wanted against Golden State’s defense.

Dončić scored 15 points in the first quarter, 13 in the second and another 13 in the third, giving him a season-high 41 at the start of the fourth quarter. He also achieved a triple-double with 10 rebounds and 10 assists and only had three missed shots – all 3-pointers.

He’s not the fastest, he’s not the most athletic or explosive, but Dončić’s body control and eye manipulation are unmatched. He was a pro before he could drive and it shows every time he steps on the ground.

The first time the Warriors faced the Mavs, they held him to 31 points, which sounds weird. He was held back because Dončić made only two of his 10 3-point attempts. His hot start on Sunday evening was simply too much for him.

Dallas has other scoring options, notably Thompson and Kyrie Irving, but Dončić is in a league of his own and the Warriors paid for his size.

Klay’s return, part II

There were more Santa hats than captain’s hats in the stands. The pre-game hype died down. And yet, seeing Thompson wearing the No. 31 Mavericks jersey at Chase Center will still take some getting used to.

However, his 3-point shooting will never be forgotten by Warriors fans. Thompson attempted three 3-pointers in the first quarter and converted two of them. He then shot another three triples in the second quarter, missed all three and went into halftime with eight points.

Thompson began to heat up in the third quarter, hitting two early three-pointers and a mid-range shot that forced a Warriors timeout. After three quarters, Thompson had 16 points, three more than his season average of 13.3 points per game.

After a disastrous sequence by Brandin Podziemski, Thompson hit a corner three in the fourth quarter that put the Mavs ahead by 12 points, and he screamed in celebration. Thompson finished the season with a season-high 29 points on 9 of 14 shooting and was 7 of 11 from long range, contributing to the game’s NBA record of 48 combined 3-pointers.

It’s no coincidence that his two highest-scoring games this season were against his former team.

Sixth man Draymond

For the second time this season, Steve Kerr started the game with Green on the bench. Whenever Green is not on the field, the Warriors defense is sure to take a hit. The Mavs certainly took advantage of that too.

They made their first nine shots of the game. As amazing as this may sound, it is not a typo. When Green entered the game with seven and a half minutes left in the first quarter, the Warriors were already trailing by 12 points (23-11).

Behind Dončić’s elite play, the Mavs continued to run, but Green was great early in the game. He scored nine points in the first quarter while making three of his four 3-point attempts. His fourth three-pointer of the night, this time in the second quarter, set a new Warriors franchise record – and also tied an NBA record – and Green let the whole building hear about it.

Another three-pointer in the third quarter gave Green five points on the night, his second-highest score ever in a game. He also reached his season high of 19 points. Green scored two more points in the fourth and had 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists. How he starts games going forward will continue to be an exciting storyline as Kerr is still searching for the right combinations.

The Warriors are 0-2 in the two games in which Green has come off the bench this season.

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