DALLAS — Through the first three games of the Western Conference Finals, the Warriors were thoroughly winning the defensive battle against the Mavericks. Through a combination of looks, which included a hedge-and-recover man scheme, a little switching, some box-and-one, and a good deal of zone, Golden State held Dallas to a 106.3 offensive rating from Games 1–3, an elite mark. Leave it to Mavs coach Jason Kidd to turn those schemes into a positive:
“The biggest compliment we’ve gotten is that they have to play zone because they can’t guard us 1-on-1.”
Dallas was finally able to take advantage of the Warriors on Tuesday, recording their first win of the series as it heads back to the Bay with the Dubs still up 3–1.