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The Golden State Warriors will meet the Dallas Mavericks in the 2022 NBA playoffs in the Western conference finals after both teams handled business in the second round. The Warriors took out the Grizzlies, although Memphis did play the last two games of the matchup without Ja Morant. The Mavericks were able to break out on the road in Game 7 to send the No. 1 seed Suns packing. Here’s how Golden State and Dallas match up ahead of the conference finals.
No. 3 Warriors vs. No. 4 Mavericks
Head-to-head record: Mavericks 3-1
Overall record: Warriors 53-29, Mavericks 52-30
Leading scorer on Warriors: Stephen Curry
Leading scorer on Mavericks: Luka Doncic
Odds to win series: Warriors -255, Mavericks +235
The Warriors might have been fortunate to catch the Nuggets and Grizzlies without some key players, but that won’t be the case here. The Mavericks are intact and playing excellent basketball. Golden State’s inconsistent play and lack of a true big man could come back to bite the team, but this is a veteran unit that is used to pressure situations. It looks like everything has set up well for the Warriors in this postseason. Now, they’ve got to show why they’re still the force many thought they could be with everyone healthy.
After years of struggling, Luka Doncic has finally put the team on his back. Dallas hasn’t been able to find a second star for the point guard, but it hasn’t mattered. Jason Kidd has this team playing excellent defense, with key role players like Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith stepping up in key moments. Let’s see if the Mavericks can spring one more surprise in the conference finals.