3. Can Mavericks Replicate Defensive Success?
If the Dallas Mavericks are going to pull off the upset in this series it will likely occur because of their defense. That has been the biggest turnaround for Dallas this season, as Jason Kidd has them playing well on that end of the court.
The Mavericks finished the regular season with a 109.1 defensive rating, which was seventh in the NBA. They were even better in 2022, ranking fourth-best and at points, they were the No. 1 defense in the NBA.
During the regular season, Dallas found some success in containing the Golden State Warriors’ offense. Golden State scored a season-low 82 points against the Mavericks, going 5-of-28 from the 3-point line and turning the ball over 17 times.
Turnovers have become an issue recently for the Golden State Warriors, as they totaled 41 in the final two games against the Grizzlies. While Dallas isn’t as active creating turnovers as Memphis is, this will still be something to keep an eye on. If Golden State is just going to throw the ball away, Dallas will take advantage.
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Luka Doncic is key to this as well. At points in his career, he has been a turnstile defensively. But, Kidd challenged him following an embarrassing Game 2 performance against the Suns and turned it up after that. The Mavericks need that level of effort from Doncic to pull off the upset.
