NBA: Stephen Curry’s 21 points lead Golden State Warriors beat Mavericks, 112-87

Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry had 21 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while the team’s defence held Luka Doncic in check as the Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 112-87 on Wednesday night for a 1-0 lead.

Doncic scored 20 points but shot just 6 for 18 and 3 of 10 from deep. He made back-to-back 3-pointers late in the first half to get his team within 54-45 at the break, but Curry and Klay Thompson helped the Warriors pull away in the second half.

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Jalen Brunson scored 14 points but missed all five of his 3s for the surprising Mavs, who stunned the top-seeded Suns in a 123-90 thumping in Game 7 on Sunday in Phoenix.

Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is on Friday night at Chase Centre, where the raucous, yellow-clad sellout crowd brought back memories of that 2007 “We Believe” Warriors playoff team that shocked the No. 1-seeded Mavericks in a six-game first-round upset at Oracle Arena.

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That helped propel Golden State back to prominence. From 2015 to 2019, the Warriors reached five straight NBA Finals but missed the playoffs the past two years before this run. Now, they are one win closer to getting back to the big stage.

Andrew Wiggins added 19 points, getting Golden State going by making six of his first eight shots on the way to shooting 8 for 17.

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Early from a first-quarter swipe by Wiggins, Doncic received a scratch across his face. The mark went from the bridge of his nose across his right cheek under the eye. Donic also tugged at his troublesome right shoulder that has been taped previously during these playoffs.

Stopping Doncic is the tall task this time after the Warriors already handled two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic in the first round, then Ja Morant early last series before his knee injury.

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Curry hit two quick 3s in sparking a 10-2 burst to begin the third for a Golden State squad that eliminated Memphis in a six-game semifinal series. Thompson scored all of his 15 points after halftime, his first of the game on a layup at the 10:22 mark of the third after missing his first four shots.