Warriors Come Up Short Against Mavs

The Dallas Mavericks snap the Warriors six game win streak Friday night, spoiling an opportunity to clinch a spot in the play-in tournament with a 108-106 Golden State defeat. The Warriors drop below .500 in clutch games this year, posting a mediocre 22-23 record.

The Warriors squandered an opportunity to pickup a win over a Mavericks team missing their best player Luka Doncic, who missed the game due to injury. PJ Washington surprised everyone and stole the show in Doncic's absence, leading the game in scoring with 32 points in 40 minutes. On the season, Washington averages 12.8 points a game.

In a back and forth battle, the Warriors found themselves down two with 22.1 seconds left. Steph Curry used his filthy handles to create space and splash a 17-foot step back tying the game at 106 with 13 on the clock. Curry's heroics would prove futile. PJ Washington was inevitable on this night. The next possession, Tim Hardaway drove to the basket and dished to Washington who put in the winning points on a layup with only 4.1 left in regulation.

Letting a role player dominate the box score wasn't the only entity spelling doom for the Warriors in Dallas. Jonathan Kuminga missed his sixth consecutive game and Andrew Wiggins didn't play due to an ankle injury.

With limited rosters, Kyrie Irving's 26 points on 9-19 shooting helped Washington and the Mavs edge the Warriors while Curry led Golden State scoring 28 points on a meh 9-23 from the floor. Klay Thompson's 16 points were good for second most on the Warriors in a losing effort, including a miss on the potential game winning three as time expired.

Only five games remain in the Warriors season. The Houston Rockets fell to the Miami Heat 119-104, meaning that the Warriors can clinch a play-in spot on their home court when the Utah Jazz come to the Chase Center on Apr. 7.