Two of the NBA’s top stars went back and forth on Saturday night in Dallas(10-14). Steph Curry and Luka Doncic had a great battle, but Doncic, with Maxi Kleber’s help, was able to get a home win against the Warriors(12-11) 134-132.
The undermanned Warriors routed the Mavericks 147-116 on Thursday night.
Curry was 19-31 from the field, including 11/19 from three-point land to score 57 points, while Doncic was 12/23 from the field, including 7/12 from downtown to tie a regular season career-high with 42 points.
Late in the game, with the Mavericks up one, Doncic dished the ball to Kleber, who hit a three to clinch the game for Dallas. The Mavericks got the victory, but this game was about Curry and Doncic.
“What Steph does is unbelievable,” Doncic said. “I think that the way he plays the game is amazing. Every time he shoots a shot, I always think that it’s going to go in.”
Mavs’ Josh Richardson added: “Steph is one of the best players in our game today. I mean, it’s tough. Once you get him going, there is not much you can do; just hope he misses it.”
According to Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle, Doncic, like the great ones, is up to the challenge of dueling with any of the top stars in the league.
“The basketball floor is his(Doncic) stage,” Carlisle said after the game. “Guys like him — and I was around guys like [Larry] Bird, and I was around Reggie Miller — when there’s another player on the other team raising his game to the level Curry was, you feel an obligation if you’re that kind of player. I saw Bird do it; I saw Miller do it. You just dig deep, and you find a way to try to match the guy and try to match the guy for your team — and that’s exactly what he did. Whether it was shotmaking, whether it was playmaking, whether it was situations getting to the free-throw line where we were in a rut— he was spectacular.”
Curry scored 62 points against the Blazers back in January in a winning effort, but scoring 57 points against the Mavericks was not enough for the Warriors to get the victory, which he discussed after the game.
“It is just a fun atmosphere competing at that level,” he said. “But it is frustrating when you have a night like that, and it doesn’t lead to a win. I would be lying if I said I was happy right now. It is kind of weird walking off the court knowing we didn’t get the win.”
After losing six straight, Dallas has now won two out of three. Now, they have to keep the momentum going as they play the third game of their seven-game homestand Monday night against Minnesota.
Listen to Doncic as he talks Curry below:
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