The Warriors continued their win streak Saturday in Dallas, and they did it in surprisingly dominating fashion.
Well, at least for the first 43 minutes.
Playing an afternoon game against the Mavericks at American Airlines Center, the Warriors raced to an early lead and never were seriously threatened, taking a 105-98 victory that extended their franchise record win streak to 15.
The game was not as competitive as the score indicates, as Dallas closed with a 17-5 rally over the final five minutes to narrow the gap at the finish.
Stephen Curry scored a game-high 29 points, Klay Thompson finished with 25 and Draymond Green added 20. Harrison Barnes led Warriors rebounders with nine.
The Warriors (20-2) locked up the league's highest-scoring team, limiting the Mavs to 12.5 points below their per-game average and holding them to 40.4 percent shooting. Dallas entered the game shooting 48.2 percent.
The Warriors were without center Andrew Bogut, who is sidelined with tendinitis in his right knee and also has flu.
The Mavericks (17-8) were led by former Warriors star Monta Ellis, who scored 24 points, while star forward Dirk Nowitzki added 24.
STANDOUT PERFORMER: Green wins the centerpiece honor for this game. He was terrific all around, at both ends, and he delivered precisely when the Warriors needed a boost. In addition to his points, Green also finished with eight rebounds and his usual stellar defense, including a pair of blocked shots.
Thompson and Curry also were crucial. Thompson provided steady scoring, making 10-of-21 shots, while Curry rang up eight assists and kept the offense flowing in the absence of Bogut.
TURNING POINT: The Warriors built a double-digit early, going up 21-10 with 5:57 left in the first quarter. The Warriors push the margin as high as 28 (64-36 in the second quarter) and the Mavericks did not get within single digits until the final 74 seconds.
When Dallas staged a third-quarter rally to cut the deficit to 13, the Warriors answered with a 10-2 run fueled by Green to reestablish command.
INJURY UPDATE: C Andrew Bogut (right knee tendinitis) and F David Lee (strained left hamstring) remain out indefinitely.
WHAT'S NEXT: The Warriors left Dallas immediately after the game for New Orleans, where on Sunday afternoon (3 p.m. PST) they face the Pelicans at Smoothie King Center.
