The Mavericks got out to a huge lead but then held off a furious late Warriors comeback in Game 4 to avoid a sweep in the Western Conference Finals.
If basketball history has taught us anything, itβs that the Dallas Mavericks are almost surely not advancing to the NBA Finals out of the Western Conference from their series against the Golden State Warriors. Entering Game 4 trailing 3-0 in the series on Tuesday night, that deficit looks too big to overcome. However, fans wanted to see the Mavs show up and put up a fight to help form a mentality around Luka Doncic to build on moving forward.
They did just that β and then some.
Dallas jumped out to a sizable early lead against the Warriors and went into the locker room after halftime ahead by double digits. In the second half (after a long delay for a leak in the ceiling dripping on the court), that only got worse as the Mavericks were soon up by 20+ points and kept pulling away.
Golden State, ever-lingering in any contest, didnβt give up and the bench for the Warriors began to chip away at the lead. That put the stars back on the floor late in the fourth quarter and that was enough for Dallas to stave off the surge and secure the 119-109 victory and avoid the sweep.
Mavericks avoid sweep vs. Warriors, win Game 4: Best memes, tweets and reactions
On the heels of a blowout-turned-dramatic-ending in Dallas, NBA Twitter had some terrific reactions and memes that will make anyone chuckle a bit.
The Mavs after avoiding the sweep: pic.twitter.com/1nj0dfjZdc
β theScore (@theScore) May 25, 2022
Gotta respect the Mavs for not giving up - not getting swept. Important win for their growth process.
β Ben Rogers (@BenRogers) May 25, 2022
Way to go, @dallasmavs! This movie is still gonna end the way it's gonna end. But you fuckers have a lot to look forward to down the line.
β Bill Schulz (@BillSchulz) May 25, 2022
Mavs fans rn pic.twitter.com/u7qIZW2mf2
β DraftKings (@DraftKings) May 25, 2022
FINAL: Mavericks 119 Warriors 109
β π§π₯π’π¬ ππ¨ππππ¦ (@TommySledge) May 25, 2022
Tonight β¦ Mavs weβre the butcher#MFFL #ThorLoveAndThunder pic.twitter.com/rlOGszAe8m
mavs in 7 pic.twitter.com/Gh4MJgcbYX
β Gil (@CampinMunoz) May 25, 2022
Luka and the Mavs arenβt done yet! pic.twitter.com/2K6Ia1xM8L
β TSN EDGE (@TSN_Edge) May 25, 2022
PUT THOSE BROOMS AWAY β
β FanDuel (@FanDuel) May 25, 2022
Luka and the Mavs get it to Game 5 π€#dALLasIN | #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/hWywdgkWAF
Luka after checking back in with the Mavsβ lead dwindling pic.twitter.com/91JxLRLk8B
β BetMGM π¦ (@BetMGM) May 25, 2022
Cant believe the mavs gave up this huge lead so that they could put luka back in to chase a triple double smdh
β Kirk Henderson (@KirkSeriousFace) May 25, 2022
Itβs surely a good sign that the Mavs were not only able to dominate a game in which they were trying to not get swept but also fight back after letting their foot off of the gas. That bodes well for the long-term future in Dallas.
Unfortunately, the near future looks bleak for the Mavericks. The series will head back to the Bay Area for Game 5 on Thursday and the Warriors should be in a good spot to close out the series and advance to the Finals.