Dallas @ Golden State preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 23, 2017 ) Golden State 133, Dallas 103

The Golden State Warriors don't seem to need Stephen Curry or Draymond Green as long as Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson are still around. The Warriors expect to at least get Green back in the lineup when they try to push their latest winning streak to eight straight against the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.

Curry sat out the last three games and is expected to be out the rest of this week at least while nursing an ankle injury, and Green is day-to-day and sat out two of the last three with a shoulder injury, but Durant is averaging 33 points, 10 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 3.3 blocks in the last three games to keep Golden State in the win column. "Our focus level is just on another level because of the injuries that we have on our team," Durant told reporters. "We have to be locked in on every single play; and that's hard to do in this league, and that's hard to do in December, especially after winning a championship." The Mavericks dropped their last four road games but head to Golden State with a positive outlook after earning a 95-89 win over the San Antonio Spurs at home on Tuesday. “We just finished the game," shooting guard Wesley Matthews told the team's website. "This has been our brand of basketball as of late. You know, if we continue to play this way, like we have been, more often than not we’ll pull these games off. We’re a lot better than the record shows. We didn’t play the way we were supposed to during the early part of the season, so we’ve got a lot of uphill battling to do. But we’re equip to do it."

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, FS Southwest (Dallas), NBCS Bay Area (Golden State)

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (8-20): Dallas suffered single-digit losses at Boston, Milwaukee and Minnesota before coming home and putting it all together against the Spurs. The Mavericks watched guards Matthews, Yogi Ferrell and J.J. Barea score 16 points apiece while holding San Antonio's backcourt trio of Tony Parker, Danny Green and Manu Ginobili to a combined 14 points. “Well, tonight we did a great job," Barea told reporters after the win. "In the second half, it wasn’t a good start. But we got some good rhythm, especially offensively there in the second half, and we kept attacking throughout the second half. I think that was the key tonight."

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (22-6): While Durant and Thompson are carrying the scoring load with Curry out, Golden State is also getting solid performances from role players like Jordan Bell, David West and Omri Casspi. Those three all scored in double figures in Monday's 111-104 win over the Portland Trail Blazers while going a combined 14-of-18 from the floor. "These night are really powerful for a team where guys are able to get out there who aren't usually in the lineup," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "It makes them feel good, it makes us feel good and it just strengthens the depth."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Warriors SG Nick Young left Monday's game and is in the concussion protocol.

2. Mavericks rookie PG Dennis Smith Jr. (hip) sat out the last three games and is not expected to play on Thursday.

3. Golden State took the last seven in the series, including a 133-103 trashing at Dallas on Oct. 23.

PREDICTION: Warriors 112, Mavericks 101