Series preview: Mavericks vs. Warriors
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The Dallas Mavericks are one step away from making an appearance in the NBA Finals. Standing in their way are Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and the Golden State Warriors.
Game one of the Western Conference Finals between these two teams is Wednesday at 8 P.M. with the Warriors getting home court advantage.
The last time Dallas made it this far in the playoffs was in 2011. Most Mavs fans know they won the championship that year. Luka Dončić and the rest of the squad are hoping to mirror that performance, but understand they have a long way to go.
"Obviously, the championship is our goal," Dončić said. "We have to go game by game. We have to face the Warriors who have been the best team in the league for like 10 years."
Golden State is no stranger to deep playoff runs, making it to the finals five times in the last ten years, winning the championship three times during that stretch.
However, the Mavs and Warriors, of course, have a different look to their squads than in years past. During this post season, Dončić has led the team in points with 315, followed by Jalen Brunson whose racked up 298 points. On the opposite side of the court, Curry is leading with 296 points. He's holding a .359 3-point shooting percentage, only making 42 of his 117 attempted deep shots. Klay Thompson has 224 points and a .408 3-point shooting percentage.
In addition to their ability to score, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said they're also skilled and showing different types of defense.
"They're very good at being able to change up their coverages without calling the timeout. We have to recognize that. We believe our quarterback {Dončić} has seen a lot of these coverages, and they'll be able to recognize them," Kidd said.
During the regular season, the two teams met four times with Dallas winning three of those games.
Games one and two take place in San Francisco with Games three and four happening at American Airlines Center. If necessary, games five and seven will be in San Francisco with game six in Dallas.