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We have a Western Conference showdown on ABC this beautiful Sunday in February. The Dallas Mavericks are taking on the Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors. With the NBA season in the second half, teams are battling for playoff positioning, and that is no different for these two teams, as they are in the thick of things.
Throughout the rest of this article, we will break down this matchup and make our pick for the game.
The Dallas Mavericks have had a rollercoaster of a season after trading away their star player, Luka Dončić. The trade was frowned upon across league circles and by the Mavs fanbase, who have not been happy. They got Anthony Davis back in the trade, who had a monster performance in his first game with the Mavs. Unfortunately, the often-injured Anthony Davis went down with an abductor injury and will be re-evaluated in about a week.
With Davis being out, the Mavs need guys like Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson to have big-time games. Max Christie, who was just a throw-in piece in the Luka Dončić trade, is starting to come into his own for the Mavs. In the six games with the Mavs, Max Christie has scored at least 15 points in each game while also being a defensive bright spot on this team with six steals in the previous three games.
If Davis gets healthy and the Mavs’ role players can continue to take steps forward, this team may be a contender in the Western Conference. As of late February, the Mavericks find themselves in the thick of the playoff race, and every game is crucial in determining whether they will be in the play-in tournament. The Warriors game could be a pivotal moment for the Mavericks, as both teams are vying for playoff positioning in a loaded Western Conference.
The Golden State Warriors, led by the ageless Stephen Curry, are currently the 10th seed in the Western Conference. While Curry continues to be the team’s focal point, the Warriors have dealt with injuries and inconsistent performances throughout the season. Jonathan Kuminga was having the breakout season we had all been waiting for but unfortunately went down with an injury.
At the trade deadline, the Warriors made a huge move by acquiring disgruntled veteran Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. They traded away Andrew Wiggins, who has been a key part of their team over the past few seasons. Getting Jimmy Butler is a huge move for this Warriors team, and it just raises the floor of this team, especially in the playoffs. When “playoff Jimmy” is activated, there are not many other players you would rather have in the NBA.
However, the Warriors need to hang on to a playoff spot in the second half of the season in a loaded Western Conference. The underachieving Phoenix Suns are nipping at the heels of the Warriors and have a ton of star power with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. For Warriors fans’ sake, they hope this team catches fire, which is quite possible in the second half of the season.
This matchup between the Mavericks and Warriors promises to be a thrilling battle, with both teams needing a win for different reasons. We just saw this matchup a few games ago, where the Mavericks came out on top, winning the game 111-107.
Kyrie Irving went bananas in that game, scoring 42 points on 15-25 shooting from the floor and 7-10 from downtown. Both Klay Thompson and Max Christie chipped in with 17 points on the night. On the Warriors’ side, Steph Curry finished with 25 points, going 4-13 from downtown, and Jimmy Butler chipped in with 21. The Warriors’ starters struggled in that game, with Stephen Curry being the only player with a positive plus/minus.
With the Warriors needing a win on national TV, we expect Curry to have a big-time game. We mentioned above that he knocked down four three-point attempts, but we believe he can top that in this one. Therefore, our Mavericks vs. Warriors pick is on Stephen Curry to make 5+ three-pointers in this game in a Warriors win.
Dylan has had a love for sports since he was a kid. Four years ago, he decided to dive into the sports content-creating industry specializing in Fantasy Football, NFL and NBA. He has since had his work published on sites that include Fantasy Alarm, Fansided, and Fantasy Six Pack.