DALLAS: Three lost, one left. Make your plans for the NBA Finals – this series is over.
The Warriors came out and played purposefully from the start, and while there were a few pauses along the way, they proved once again to be the better team finals in the Western Conference with a 109-100 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 on Sunday night at the American Airlines Center.
Golden State now leads the series with three games to none.
Steph Curry continued to put on a show and put on a 31-point double-double. He also dished out 11 assists and made five 3-pointers. He has now made at least five 3-pointers in a record 53 playoff games.
Andrew Wiggins had his first 20-10 playoff performance and he might have been the best player on the floor for either side.
Klay Thompson scored 19 points but continues to struggle with his 3-point shot.
Mavs star Luka Doncic scored 40 points and Spencer Dinwiddie added 26 from the bench but Dallas got absolutely nothing from Maxi Kleber and Reggie Bullock.
Now we head into Game 4 on Tuesday night, with the Warriors looking to end it with a sweep.
Here are three Warriors takeaways that are just one win away from the NBA Finals.
Another injury suffered by Otto Porter Jr
After several straight possessions with a limp and a grimace, Otto Porter Jr. had had enough. He had to come out with a left foot problem. With nine minutes left in the second quarter, Porter limped into the Warriors locker room with coach Rick Celebreni.
He did not return and was ruled out for the night early in the third quarter due to pain in his left foot.
Porter has been a key contributor off the bench for the Warriors all season, especially in the playoffs. The King of Plus-Minus does the dirty work, gives the Warriors a rebounding presence and had one of the smoothest mid-range jump shots in the league. This isn’t the first time he’s struggled with an injury this postseason, either.
The veteran forward missed the second half of the Warriors’ Game 5 loss in the last round to the Memphis Grizzlies with right foot pain and was ruled out for his Game 6 win. In the first two games of the conference finals, Porter averaged 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds and was plus 27 overall.
Winning with Wiggins
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Andrew Wiggins made it big again in a playoff win for the Warriors. That’s the narration now. nothing else.
The Warriors’ energizer Bunny was relentless on both sides of the ball and never showed a mild case of fatigue. Wiggins scored 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds — six on offense and five on defense. He was a powerful plus-22. Oh yes, someone better print this poster.
Sunday night was Wiggins’ third double-double of the playoffs. All have been in the last six games.
Wiggins is now averaging 15.8 points and 8.0 rebounds in his last four games. He’s a plus-86 combined in this span.
Big bank question
The severity of Porter’s injury is unknown at this time. But if he can’t go into Game 4 or beyond, Steve Kerr might have a bit of a problem. Juan Toscano-Anderson replaced Porter when he went down. Is that the plan for the future?
Overall, this was a tough night for the Golden State reserves. In the first half, the Warriors’ bench was a combined minus of 38 and had only two points – two from Porter and two from Jordan Poole. Math may not be my thing, but it’s not ideal.
After two great performances early in the series, Poole couldn’t find his shot and only scored 10 points. The only positive is that its two 3-pointers were absolutely huge.
Rookie Moses Moody is now rooted in the playoff rotation above Damion Lee, and despite defending hard on Doncic and Brunson, he was a 12-down and the Mavs asked him to shoot. He missed all three of his shot attempts, all of which came from beyond the arc.
The Warriors first need to figure out if Porter will be back soon or if he’ll be out for a long time. If the latter is the case, several players must advance.