History is now on the Warriors’ side, as no team has ever returned from a 3-0 series deficit in the NBA Playoffs in 146 attempts.
Steve Curry led Golden State in scoring with 31 points for 11 assists and five rebounds, while Andrew Wiggins – who hit the net with a massive punch on MAF star Luka Doncic in the fourth quarter – added a double. On his own with 27 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.
“When you go 2-0 up and win on the road, it gives you a stifling grip and control of the series. That’s huge,” Curry told reporters.
“Obviously we know the job isn’t done, but it’s nice to know we can play with the house money on Tuesday and try to get the job done.”
Doncic continued his solo magic in the post-season with 40 points and 11 rebounds, but was let down by a number of his teammates on a disappointing night on home soil.
Three Dallas Novices—Dorian Finney Smith, Dwight Powell and Reggie Bullock—combined for just 12 points, while Reggie Bullock and Maxi Kleiber netted zero points between them at 40 and 24 minutes, respectively.
The Mavericks have exceeded all expectations this season, thanks in large part to the organization instilled by new coach Jason Kidd and stunned the Phoenix Suns, the NBA finalists last season, in the Western Conference semi-finals.
But the seasoned, battle-tested Warriors are proving to be a step too far for Dallas in their first true playoff with Doncic leading the charge.
“This was a big lesson that we learned from us,” the United Kid told reporters. “This is not the end.” “This was just the beginning and I said this in the Phoenix series, if you guys remember. You guys had good memories.”
The warriors would surely not take this initiative for granted; In 2016, they lost the NBA Finals after a 3-1 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers led by LeBron James and the defeat remains a painful stain on the Golden State dynasty’s resume.
“Winning a Finals once means absolutely nothing,” Draymond Green told reporters. “You have to win another match, and this game is not going to be easy.
“So we have to make sure we’re more focused than we did tonight. The closing matches are always the hardest. We have to go out and win the game. They won’t give us that.”
Game four on Tuesday in Dallas.
The Warriors are bidding to reach their sixth NBA Finals in eight seasons and are set to face either the Miami Heat or the Boston Celtics.
The Heat is currently leading that series 2-1 with Game 4 scheduled for Monday night.