The 5-5 Dallas Mavericks continue their terrifying road swing with a trip to the Chase Center to face the 8-2 Golden State Warriors on Tuesday at 9 p.m. Both clubs enter this matchup after weekend tests against some of the league’s best teams, with the Mavericks falling in back-to-back heartbreakers to Phoenix and Denver, and the Warriors serving as Cleveland’s tenth straight victim before overcoming an early deficit at the hands of Oklahoma City to beat after Thunder Center Chet. Holmgren left the game with a hip injury.

While injuries to center Dereck Lively II (shoulder sprain) and forward PJ Washington (knee sprain) have forced the Mavericks to field some smaller lineups of late, this season’s Warriors have designed it that way. Golden State is averaging 39.5% accuracy on 41.3 three-point attempts per game and features five regulars shooting 40% or better from beyond arc guards Steph Curry, Buddy Hield and Moses Moody; and forwards Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins – plus another guard De’Anthony Melton, who connected on 5 of his 8 long-range attempts in his Warriors starting debut against the Thunder.

The injuries to Lively and Washington have robbed the Mavericks not only of scoring and rebounding, but also of two of the team’s better perimeter-defending big men, making Golden State a particularly difficult matchup. A glimmer of hope for Dallas can be found in the expected return of forward Maxi Kleber from a hamstring injury on Tuesday, although he will likely play limited minutes.

Up front, the Warriors have forwards Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis, who lead in field goal percentage at .700, and can counter big lineups with reliable center Kevon Looney. While the athletic Kuminga was a questionable fit at times with the Warriors’ scheme and staff, his talent and production off the bench were undeniable. Mavericks center Daniel Gafford provided scoring and rim defense in Lively’s absence, but was plagued by foul trouble and clashes with Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic in those games. If Lively misses Tuesday’s game, expect Dallas to turn to Dwight Powell for help at center.

NBA Cup

Tuesday’s game is the first of group play for both teams in this year’s NBA regular season tournament. The Mavericks will play each of their West Group C counterparts, including the Warriors, Pelicans, Nuggets and Grizzlies, between Tuesday and December 3 to determine who will advance to the knockout round. The winners of each of the six groups and two wildcard teams, the second-place group winners with the best regular season records, will advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament.

Klay’s return

Mavericks forward Klay Thompson will play his first game in the Bay Area as a visitor after being an integral member of four Warriors title teams in his 13 seasons there. The team plans to honor one of the greatest players in franchise history with souvenir captain hats for fans in attendance, commemorating Thompson’s years of experience sailing to games across San Francisco Bay. After a hot start to the season for the Mavericks, Klay’s shooting has faltered of late as he went a combined 8-of-26 from the field against the Suns and Nuggets, including 2-of-13 from 3-point range.

Wanted: bank scores

The absence of Lively and Washington has also highlighted how much Dallas has relied on Lively and forward Naji Marshall, who has stepped in as Washington’s starter, for bench production in 2024-25. It’s also striking how little they’ve gotten from their reserve guards lately. Head coach Jason Kidd tried different approaches in the final two games to engineer better performance from outside the starting lineup, nearly clearing the bench against Phoenix before playing a short rotation against Denver, with similarly disappointing results. Spencer Dinwiddie and Jaden Hardy combined for seven points on Sunday, and Quentin Grimes did not check into the game. Depth was expected to be one of this team’s strengths, and that will have to be the case if the Mavericks want to compete against the Warriors.

The way forward

Tuesday’s game is the second in a series in which the Mavericks have played 11 of 15 on the road after failing to capitalize on a five-game homestand in which they won only against the Orlando and Chicago teams who were decimated by injuries. Between the travel and the team’s shaky health (Luka Dončić hasn’t missed a single game but played through a left groin injury), the Mavericks have their work cut out for them but will get a break in the next four games against the Spurs. Jazz, Thunder and Pelicans, teams that are below them in the standings or are missing key contributors due to injury.

While it hasn’t helped them in the standings, the Mavericks have outscored the Suns and Nuggets 185-171 in their last six quarters, so the team isn’t without reason for optimism. Dallas continues to take good care of the ball, leading the NBA with a turnover ratio of 11.7, and has had several outstanding individual performances from its starters. A lot has been asked of guard Kyrie Irving while the Mavericks fell short, and on Sunday he responded to the challenge with red-hot shooting, putting up 43 points on 17 of 22 shooting, including making 6 of his 8 3-point attempts. Kidd was critical of the Mavericks’ slow start, and Dallas can help themselves by changing course and coming out strong. It may be necessary against the Warriors.

How to watch

This will be broadcast nationally on TNT!