Warriors Take Game 1 Behind Balanced Effort

The Warriors were firing on all cylinders in Wednesday’s 112-87 win over the Mavericks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney set the tone early, Draymond Green played his all-around floor game and Jordan Poole provided a spark off the bench as the Dubs jumped out to a 1-0 series lead.

The Warriors controlled all facets of the game, shooting 56.1 percent from the field while holding Dallas to just 36 percent. The Dubs also controlled the boards, out-rebounding Dallas 52-34, and kept their turnovers to a minimum.

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All seven Warriors players who played at least 20 minutes scored in double figures, led by 21 points from Stephen Curry. The two-time MVP added 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the postseason, and Wiggins and Poole each added 19 points in the win.

The Warriors remain undefeated at home this postseason (7-0), and they’ll look to extend their 1-0 series advantage on Friday when they host Game 2.

DUBS DEFENSE ON DISPLAY
Five days removed from their series-clinching victory over the Grizzlies, the Warriors put their stamp on this one early. Tough Warriors defense forced Dallas into a perimeter game, as 15 of the first 20 Mavericks shots were 3-point attempts. Dallas made just three of those, setting the tone for a night in which Dallas made just 31 of their 86 shot attempts, including 11-for-48 from distance.

Key to that defensive effort was Draymond Green. The Mavs were 0-for-9 on threes defended by Draymond Green, and the former Defensive Player of the Year made one signature play in the first quarter.

“He’s the key to our defense,” Head Coach Steve Kerr said. “Against a team like this that spreads you out you have to make the rotations and good reads. He is one of the best in the world at doing that and getting everyone organized.”

WIGGINS COMES THROUGH
Andrew Wiggins was the primary defender on Luka Doncic, who needed 18 shots to get his 20 points. And even though Doncic led the team in scoring, he was a minus-30 in his 35 minutes of game action. And in addition to forcing Doncic into an inefficient night, Wiggins had it clicking offensively early, hitting four of his first five shots and scoring 10 of his 19 points in the first quarter.

THIRD QUARTER RUN
The Warriors led by 10 at the end of the first quarter and took a nine-point advantage into halftime before breaking the game open early in the third quarter. Defense fueled a 10-0 run for the Dubs, who stripped Doncic twice and converted in transition. Curry knocked down a pair of 3-pointers during that run, and the Mavericks never got back within 15 points. The Warriors outscored the Mavericks 34-24 in the third period, and Curry was able to sit out the entire fourth period.

SPLASH BROTHERS OVERCOME SLOW STARTS
Both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson overcame slow starts in the win. Curry started the game 1-for-7 from the floor, and the one make followed an offensive rebound after he had missed two free throws. But Curry turned in around late in the second quarter, scoring eight points in the final 3:42 of the period. Thompson, meanwhile, was scoreless in the first half but turned things around in the third quarter by getting a few early layups. He’d make his first five shots in the period and finished the game with 15 points on 7-for-13 shooting.

POOLE STEPS UP
With Curry and Thompson struggling at the start, the Warriors needed a spark, and Jordan Poole provided just that. The third-year guard had great success in getting the basket, going 8-for-12 from the floor, and he ended the third quarter with what was perhaps his most challenging shot of the game.

THE LITTLE THINGS
After grabbing 22 rebounds in the Warriors’ prior game, Kevon Looney had another effective effort on Wednesday, scoring 10 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting. Looney added five rebounds, four assists and two blocks in the win.

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