The Warriors got a balanced scoring attack in the opener. (2:25)
On a night that every Golden State Warriors player to play meaningful minutes scored in double figures, it was their defense that propelled them to a 112-87 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Wednesday.
The Warriors had a team-defense mentality. Luka Doncic was going to be the only one who could take on the task of the Mavericks.
Someone had to take the bulk of the load. Andrew was the primary defender on Doncic.
The ultimate goal was never to stop Doncic, but to slow him so that he didn't get anything. One could see that he came as close as he could.
All five of Doncic's shots were against Wiggins, but he held Dallas' star to 5-of-11 shooting. Doncic had three turnovers.
Klay Thompson said that he was moving them puppies.
That was the reason he was the top pick. You can't teach it. You cannot teach that length. You cannot teach his timing. I am happy that the world is getting to see who he really is, and he will be like this for the next 10 years.
Doncic finished with 20 points on 6-of-18 shooting. It was the third-lowest scoring playoff game for Doncic and he failed to score more than 20 points for the third time.
They were doing a good job on me, especially in the second half. That is on me. I have to be a better leader for the whole group.
They did a really good job of picking him up full court. They were box-and-one. They did a good job. Give them credit. He did a good job. We knew we were going to see that. We will look at the video again and see what we can do better.
It was the previous game of the Warriors against the Memphis Grizzles, and they asked associate head coach Mike Brown if he could pick up Tyus Jones full court. On Wednesday, as Kidd said, he did it again with Doncic.
He was picked up full court at times, but at the same time he was shadowed all the way up the court. Even if the defender is not jabbing for the ball or trying to poke it away, it can still be enough to frustrate a player.
Stephen Curry, who scored a game-high 21 points to lead seven Warriors in double digits, said it was a tactic to make guys work. I wouldn't say it makes you feel bad, but something you can't overcome. Wiggs is going to keep doing it, but it is just one more thing to think about.
Is a full-court press ever enough to tire out the man who scored 19 points with five rebound and three assists?
I feel like I am still young. I don't get too tired. When you see it work or it helps us play better, it just motivates me to do it more. I am not tired or nothing. You know, it's a rush. I feel good.
Thompson believes that being with Golden State has allowed him to be the best version of himself as a player. That idea has been around for a while, and the role that he plays has been the center of any discussion about his success. He does not have to shoulder the load of scoring or facilitating.
He doesn't mind carrying the load that comes on the other end.
The Warriors knew that no one player could do it on their own.
The Mavericks went 1-of-5 for four points with a turnover on those seven double-teamed plays.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said that it was an excellent defensive night. We pride ourselves in our defense. Everybody leans on Draymond. The tone is set by Draymond. We had a good night of defense. We can't let our guard down.
Despite being a strong 3-point shooting team, the Mavericks couldn't get anything going. Dallas shot 3-of-23 on 3-pointers that were not open.
They spread you out a lot. It is hard to cover all that ground because they took 48 3s. We tried to challenge everything we could. It was necessary to play with a lot of force and bring the effort.
The Warriors are happy with their performance in the first game, but they know there is more to come. The first game of a best-of-seven series was noted by several players.
They will have to up their game as Dallas makes adjustments.
Thompson expects them to come back with a better effort on Friday. The team was down 2-0 and won the series.
They say there is nothing Doncic hasn't seen for the Mavericks. They know that there is nowhere to go.
Spencer said that he thinks he has seen every defense. If you have seen it before, you will probably have developed a counter for it. He is one of the best in the business at improving his game by game.
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