Curry leads Warriors past Mavericks 122-120
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots the game-winning shot over Dallas Mavericks guard Monta Ellis (11) in overtime during a NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 1, 2014, in Dallas. Golden State won 122-120. AP/Matt Strasen
DALLAS — Stephen Curry made a tiebreaking jumper in the final second of overtime, lifting the Golden State Warriors to a 122-120 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
Curry finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Klay Thompson led Golden State with 27 points, and Jermaine O’Neal added 20.
Dallas had a three-point lead until Thompson made a 3-point shot with 1:01 remaining in regulation.
O’Neal blocked a Dallas shot with the game tied at 120, setting the stage for Curry’s winning move. He dribbled the ball to the left side of the court and hit from 20 feet.
The Mavericks called timeout, but the inbounds pass failed to connect as time ran out.
Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 33 points and 11 rebounds. He had 16 in the Mavericks’ 41-point second quarter.
Dallas dropped from seventh in the Western Conference to ninth, a half-game behind Memphis and Phoenix in the final two playoff positions.
The Mavericks also split a franchise-record, eight-game homestand, losing three of four overtime games. For the season, the Mavericks are 1-4 in overtime; the Warriors are 1-2.
Golden State led throughout the first quarter, scoring the first eight points and taking an 11-point lead at 30-19 on Jordan Crawford’s layup with 11 seconds remaining.
Dallas bounced back in the second. Nowitzki banked in a 3-pointer, capping a 9-0 run that got the Mavericks within two at 30-28. Vince Carter then gave Dallas a 45-42 lead with the second of his three 3-pointers in the quarter.
Two consecutive 3s by Nowitzki stretched the lead to 62-51 with 50 seconds left in the half. Thompson’s jump shot pulled Golden State to 62-53 at halftime.
In the second quarter, Nowitzki made all four of his 3-point attempts. Carter was 3 for 3 from 3-point range. Dallas was 14 for 21 from the floor, including 8 for 10 on 3s.
The Warriors outscored the Mavericks 32-19 to take an 85-81 lead into the final period.
Curry scored 11 points and O’Neal had 10 in the quarter.
Monta Ellis keyed another Dallas rally with nine fourth-quarter points. Both teams missed chances to win the game in the closing seconds of regulation.
Ellis finished with 27 points, and Brandan Wright had 14.
