Warriors Bench Steps Up to Help Push Them Past Feisty Mavericks on Christmas Day
In a holiday filled with joy and happiness, the NBA didn’t fail to put a smile on our faces by giving us their annual Christmas gift of entertaining basketball games. The day started with a thriller in New York City, where Jalen Brunson and the Knicks completed a momentous fourth-quarter comeback over Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Following that game, the San Antonio Spurs moved to 3-0 against a team that has otherwise dominated their competition, the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder. In the middle window, Golden State welcomed Cooper Flagg and his Dallas Mavericks to Chase Center. The Warriors have struggled recently in this spotlight, dropping both of their last two Christmas Day matches. Here are a few things that stood out to my eyes from the Warriors’ 126-116 victory on Christmas Day.
Warriors Struggle to Contain Opposing Team’s Star Players
Tonight, Golden State faced a Mavs team that’s still missing Kyrie Irving, whose recovery from the torn ACL he suffered in March 2025 is almost complete. As if one injury wasn’t enough, ten-time all-star Anthony Davis left after playing for just 11 minutes in the second quarter. The team quickly ruled out their star forward with groin spasms, putting more weight on Flagg’s shoulders. However, the most recent first overall pick didn’t seem to be phased by the lights. Flagg finished with a game-high 27 points and posed constant problems for Golden State inside the arc. This pattern has unfortunately repeated for the “Dubs” a few times, such as giving up 35 points to Tyrese Maxey. The Warriors showed that not having an elite defender with size can hurt them, and once they face a more talented team, it most certainly will hurt them.
Brandon Williams’ Flashes a Major Positive for Dallas
Outside of Flagg, Brandon Williams proved a fiery spark off the bench. Throughout the contest, he provided consistent and efficient offense, especially through his attack towards the rim. He forced head coach Jason Kidd’s hand and played almost ten minutes above his season average. Despite his outstanding performance, his 26 points were not enough to compete with the Warriors’ bench.
Warriors Bench Turn Up The Heat
Golden State had four non-starters in double figures, including both of their big men in Trayce Jackson-Davis and Al Horford. However, none seemed more important than De’Anthony Melton’s. Mostly known for what he provides defensively, Melton scored 16 points without abandoning his duties on the other side of the ball. His +/- of 19 was the highest of any player on the court, and he got to show Golden State fans why he was considered an important pickup this past summer.
An Interesting Night for Warriors Starters
As far as Warriors stars go, Stephen Curry had a quiet night but still finished as the team’s highest scorer. Curry started the game off ice cold, making just two field goals in the first half, but gave timely buckets to his team down the stretch. Draymond Green didn’t quite fill up the stat sheet, while Jimmy Butler was one assist and one rebound shy of a triple-double. This win marks only the second time this season Golden State has strung together three wins in a row, with their next contest being a trip to Toronto to face the Raptors.
