Update: Cooper Flagg will be restricted to 20-25 minutes Thursday
Battered Western Conference squads go head-to-head Thursday night, as the Dallas Mavericks host the Golden State Warriors at the American Airlines Center.
The Warriors (25–20, 8th West) are coming off their first game since star forward Jimmy Butler suffered a season-ending torn ACL on Jan. 19. The result? An 18-point beatdown from the Raptors at home.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks (18–26, 12th West) have won three-straight games — most recently a dominant upset over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden — but injury problems continue to hamper the beleaguered franchise.
The teams first met on Christmas Day in San Francisco, where the Warriors rolled to a 126–116 victory.
Here’s a look at the Injury Report:
Golden State Warriors
- Out: Jimmy Butler (Knee), Seth Curry (Sciatic Nerve)
Dallas Mavericks
- Out: Anthony Davis (Finger), Dante Exum (Knee), Kyrie Irving (Knee), Dereck Lively II (Foot), Daniel Gafford (Ankle)
- Probable: Ryan Nembhard (Two-Way)
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Golden State enters as a 5.5-point road favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Dallas sits as a +185 underdog. The game’s total is set at 234.5 points.
Warriors vs. Mavericks Preview
Golden State Warriors Preview
The Warriors are in trouble. Jimmy Butler’s season-ending injury tears a hole in the franchise’s fabric that even Stephen Curry — averaging 27.1 points and 5.1 assists per game — can’t stitch together on his own. Sitting in eighth place in a stacked Western Conference, it’s going to take a village if the Dubs want to stay in the playoff hunt.
Golden State is just 2–5 without Butler this season and coming off an 18-point rout against the Raptors in San Francisco. But in that loss, there was a silver lining: Jonathan Kuminga bounced back from 16 consecutive DNPs and delivered 20 points and five rebounds off the bench. Meanwhile, Buddy Hield went 6-for-6 from deep for a team-high 25 points, also off the bench.
Moving forward, the Warriors will need to embrace their strong defensive identity while banking on some Oscar-worthy performances from Curry’s supporting cast.
Dallas Mavericks Preview
Despite entering with nearly half their roster on the sidelines, the Mavericks head into Thursday’s contest with some momentum. They’ve won three straight games for the first time since early December, capped with a double-digit upset over the Knicks at MSG. (Even though New York was entrenched in its worst stretch in years, a win is a win.)
Dallas has struggled considerably without Anthony Davis, going just 8–16 with the former NBA champ on the sidelines. Still, first overall pick Cooper Flagg has continued making strides as he attempts to carry the squad. The Rookie of the Year frontrunner is averaging 18.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game this season — and dropped 27 against the Warriors on Christmas Day.
The Mavs have also received strong contributions from Naji Marshall, P.J. Washington, and Max Christie, the last of whom just went 8-for-10 from deep against the Knicks.
Warriors vs. Mavericks Pick, Best Bet
Thursday’s contest features a pair of injury-riddled squads with fleeting playoff hopes. Golden State and Dallas each boast top-ten defenses, but both coverages will likely be porous with so much talent on the sidelines.
While the evenly-matched contest should remain competitive throughout, the Mavericks seem well-positioned to ride their recent momentum and capitalize against the shorthanded Warriors, who are still scrambling for an identity in a post-Butler world.
