DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks had to wait out a rain delay in the middle of the game and sweat out some tense moments near the end. Once they had, they were still alive in the Western Conference finals.
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks had to wait out a rain delay in the middle of the game and sweat out some tense moments near the end.
Once they had, they were still alive in the Western Conference finals.
Doncic had 30 points and 14 rebounds, and the Mavericks beat Golden State 119-109 in Game 4 on Tuesday night, when there was a 16-minute rain delay at the start of the second half and the Warriors cut a 29-point deficit down to single digits late.
“Just got to finish the game. A win is a win,” said Doncic, who was 10-of-26 shooting and got plenty of help from his supporting cast to avoid being swept.
It was the 10th double-double in his 14 games this postseason for Doncic, who also had nine assists. When he had 40 points in Game 3, Reggie Bullock shot 0 for 10 with seven misses from 3-point range.
Dorian Finney-Smith had 23 points and Bullock added 18 on 6-of-10 shooting — all 3-pointers. Jalen Brunson had 15 points and Maxi Kelber, who was 2-of-14 shooting (all 3s) in the first three games, made two 3s before halftime and was 5-of-6 shooting overall for 13 points.
“Everybody in that locker room felt like we had more basketball to play,” Finney-Smith said. “We just wanted to get the win any way. … Feel like we came out desperate that first half.”
The loss snapped the Warriors’ nine-game winning streak in Western Conference finals games, though they are still firmly in control of this series headed back to California for Game 5 on Thursday night.
“It was almost like an ego win (for Dallas). You come out and really have nothing to lose. So that confidence started early,”…