The Golden State Warriors flexed their defensive muscles as they powered their way to a 112-87 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
MORE: Warriors cruise to blowout win in Game 1
Anchored by Draymond Green, the Warriors defense suffocated the Mavericks, contesting everything from beyond the arc and making life difficult at the rim, with help defenders arriving at every turn.
Dallas shot just 36 percent from the field and 22.9 percent (11-of-48) from the 3-point line, thanks largely to the presence of Green, who masterfully orchestrated their secondary line of defense.
Draymond Green held the Mavericks to 4-15 (0-9 3-pt FG) as the primary defender.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 19, 2022
0-9 is the tied for the 3rd-most misses against a single defender from 3 since ESPN began tracking playoff games in 2013-14. pic.twitter.com/9W9f7jrLz6
In the first quarter, Green produced one of the best plays of the night, closing out on Dorian Finney-Smith's 3-point attempt as he swatted it into the stands, with a little help from Stephen Curry.
Needless to say, the Chase Center crowd was hyped.
What a closeout by Draymond 🚫#NBAConferenceFinals presented by Google Pixel on TNT pic.twitter.com/cqwg321iCz
— NBA (@NBA) May 19, 2022
The Warriors came into Game 1 focused on limiting the effectiveness of Luka Doncic, who had torched both the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns earlier in the postseason, but against the Warriors' fast, switching defense, the Mavs star struggled to get going as they limited his air space all night.
Doncic scored just two points after half-time, finishing with 20 points on 6-of-18 shooting and 3-of-10 from deep, adding seven rebounds and four assists.
Per ESPN Stats & Info, Doncic had more turnovers (7) than field goals made (6) for the first time in his playoff career (24 games).
Along with Green, Andrew Wiggins proved to be a standout on the night, taking the assignment of slowing down Doncic, using his length and athleticism to bother him on the perimeter and cut off the Mavs' dribble penetration.
“He’s just showing everybody what he’s capable of in terms of impacting winning,” Steph Curry said of Wiggins.
“We’re asking him to take on that challenge [defending Doncic], be aggressive offensively, just stay consistent with that... Game 1, he stepped up.
“I’m happy for him. After eight years in the league, this is his moment.”
Wiggins got it done on both ends, making six of his first eight shots on his way to 19 points, with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr adding to Curry's praise postgame.
“I thought Wiggs was fantastic," Kerr said. "He did a fantastic job. Wiggs is just a huge part of our defense and our team.”
That defensive pressure led to a ton of easy buckets for Golden State as they got out in transition time and time again, controlling the pace of the game with their defensive intensity.
Defense ➡️ Offense pic.twitter.com/aYFSvJERTn
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 19, 2022
The Mavericks will regroup and look to even the series in Game 2 on Friday, May 20 with tip-off set for 9:00 p.m. ET.
