With my heart in my fist

This is a difficult season for the Warriors and Mavericks, yes. The final two West finalists are outside the top 5 in the Conference with the course in February, something rare. Those from the Bay counted on his reliability (As minimum) regular with Stephen Curry as Alpha and Omega. The Texans, with taking the leap to the next level, on the back of Luka Doncic. but no one is like to throw rockets and, after the triumph of the locals in the direct duel in San Francisco (119-113) the thing is like this: Warriors 27-26, Mavs 28-26. Seventh and sixth, half a game difference between the two, with the home court factor in the first round of the playoffs still within reach (26 losses are also the Clippers, now fourth)… but also the obligation to look back, and tremble.

Because Blazers and Thunder, out of the play in (27 losses) are on their heels. And because The attention of the two, Warriors and Mavericks, is right now more on the infirmary than on the track. The Mavs are without Doncic, without whom they are not capable of winning, and still without Christian Wood and Maxi Kleber. Their options, it is obvious, are minimal like this, and tomorrow they play in Salt Lake City against the Utah Jazz, a team just one game away from them. They are in a stretch of six out of seven, all against teams from the West (today against the Warriors, Jazz, Clippers, twice the Kings, Nuggets) and they are without Doncic. At least tomorrow, we’ll see later. The Slovenian has a problem ugly in the right heel that adds to his recent left ankle injury. The wear and tear of the season, with a visibly excessive load of responsibility basically night yes and night too, seems to be making a dent.

But it is that the Warriors ended up, despite the victory, just as worried or more: Stephen Curry left the locker room in the third quarter visibly limping after taking a blow to his left legwhich already brought touched of the game in Denver. The X-rays did not yield bad news, at least, but today he will undergo an MRI that has his team with their hearts in their fists. Another long absence (even moderately long) of the point guard, already at this point in the season, it would be such a dramatic problem for a champion who does not have anything left over right now, who fights against himself to find the rhythm that will take him to the playoffs in a version more similar to the usuallooking like some Warriors more Warriors. Something they are not now.

Doncic’s absence marked the beginning of the game: 40-23 with a final run of 16-2 for the Warriors in the first quarter, leads of up to 23 points and a controlled game until it was Curry’s exit from the track that conditioned everything. The Warriors were shocked, with one eye (at least) on what was happening off the track, on the news that came from the locker room. The Mavs gathered their spirits and with a 0-13 they turned a 116-98 into a 116-111. An attack rebound from Kevon Looney, of course, and the free throws prevented the final collapse of some Warriors who amassed losses and errors in that final game in which they weren’t there anymore, with that ugly feeling that the night had already gone wrong, no matter what. And that the news would be good or bad depending on Curry’s leg, whatever everyone else did.

Before the injury, when the game went through the normal course, the Warriors gave a good image. Steve Kerr has recovered, and has jury that definitely, the big quintet, with Kevon Looney and without Jordan Poole. Draymond Green scored from the outside (he finished with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists) and the bench was once again at a good level with production from Kuminga, DiVincenzo and JaMychan Green. Curry had 21 points and 7 assists when he left the game, and now everything depends on his health. In the Mavs, where everything depends on the health of Doncic, leadership of Spencer Dinwiddie (25 points), heart with little success from Josh Green and a good game (news) by Tim Hardaway Jr and, above all, by Dorian Finney-Smith (18 points, 9 rebounds).