3 meaningful takeaways from Dallas Mavericks win over Warriors

The Dallas Mavericks snapped their four-game losing streak with a 116-113 win over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night behind a 41-point triple-double from Luka Doncic. The 23-year-old superstar was unstoppable at the American Airlines Center, and the Mavs picked up a much-needed win.

It was billed as a matchup between arguably the two best point guards in the NBA, and it lived up to it on Tuesday night. Stephen Curry was outstanding for the Warriors as he went for 32 points in 38 minutes of action. Ultimately, Doncic had the bigger game and lifted his team to the win.

The Mavs won a wild game against the defending NBA champions, and there was plenty to takeaway from the contest, including Luka’s historic night and how the lineup changes impacted things. Here is a closer look at the three biggest things.

Takeaway from Dallas Mavericks win over Warriors: 3. Bench and free throw woes

The Mavs changed up their starting lineup on Tuesday in hopes of keeping up with the Warriors. Golden State’s opening group has been phenomenal this season, but their bench has struggled. It was the exact opposite on Tuesday night. The Mavericks starters dominated the play, but their bench struggled.

Head coach Jason Kidd used a ten-man rotation against the Dubs, and all five bench players had a negative plus-minus with Josh Green having the best game. The 22-year-old produced 13 points on five of seven shooting, but the Mavericks bench was subpar on Nov. 29.

The free-throw shooting woes returned as well. Dallas was just 17 of 27 from the foul line with Luka Doncic missing six of his 15. The Mavs have struggled to make their freebies all year and it nearly cost them the game on Tuesday night.