Photo Courtesy: Dominic Ceraldi
Game Info
Dallas Mavericks vs Golden State Warriors
Thursday – May 26 – 8:00 p.m.
TV: TNT
Records
Dallas Mavericks (52-30, 23-18 Away)
Golden State Warriors (53-29, 31-10 Home)
The Mavericks have shown some fight after all. Being down three games to none, Dallas came out and played like everyone thought they would. Dallas played solid in all three parts of the game (offense, defense and creating turnovers). Dallas proved to the NBA universe that they had a pulse and there’s a heartbeat deep in the heart of Texas! In my last article I predicted the Mavericks to win by 4. They blew a huge lead in the latter minutes of the 3rd quarter leading into the 4th. They stopped playing defense and the starters had to reenter the game cold. Not only that, the roof started leaking at the start of the 3rd quarter. Shot selection will be the key in Game 5. Luka can’t keep launching threes early in the shot clock while there’s no board coverage for a rebound attempt. Last game he took 26 field goals, hitting 10 and ending the game with 30 points. At this point he has to share the ball! He has 9 assists with 3 costly turnovers to keep the Warriors in striking distance. Dallas has to play defense in all 4 quarters of the game. It’s hard watching the Warriors being down 10 plus points and the Mavericks giving up layups to help them take the lead and eventually win games. Let’s take a look at Game 5 in San Francisco.
The X Factor
Dallas will need to keep the ball in the hands of PG Jalen Bronson. His assists/turnover ratio is in the top 10 in the NBA this season. Jalen has averaged 16.3 points per game, 3.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists throughout the playoffs. He has only 4 turnovers in this series! Please give him the ball and let him run this offense without being benched. SG Spencer Dinwiddie will be the catalyst for change on the defensive end. His tough perimeter plays around the three-point line has helped the Mavericks rebound the ball and get into transition. Keep an eye on these two!
Dallas has a 35.7% chance of winning on the road for Game 5. The Warriors have their champagne ordered, t-shirts designed and Guard Steph Curry already named as Western Conference Finals MVP. Is Dallas tough enough to win a crucial game on the road and extend the series? I say, “Heck yeah!” I’m taking Dallas by 12!
Final Score
Mavericks – 127
Warriors – 115
