Why Podziemski vs. Irving is Warriors-Mavericks matchup to watch originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors had the odds in their favor 11 days ago when they arrived in Dallas to face a Mavericks team missing all four of its centers. Surely, there would be an open highway to the rim.
There was, but it wasn’t enough to offset the wizardry of Dallas star Kyrie Irving. He scored 42 points – 14 in the fourth quarter – to slap Golden State with a 111-107 loss.
The Warriors (29-27) have an opportunity for retaliation at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, when the Mavericks (31-26) come to Chase Center. NBC Sports Bay Area will provide pregame coverage at 11:30 a.m. and postgame coverage immediately following the ABC telecast.
The Mavericks’ top three centers will be sidelined, but the top priority for Golden State’s defense is to prevent more fireworks by Irving. That task falls in the lap of Brandin Podziemski, who can expect support from Moses Moody and Gary Payton II.
Podziemski also will have fellow starters Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, both multiple All-Defensive team members, at his back.
“Tomorrow, I’m picking up Kyrie at half court,” Podziemski said Saturday after practice. “I have that confidence that he’s going to get by me sometime – he’s a Hall of Famer – but I have guys behind me to help me. That voice that you hear with guys behind you gives you more confidence to be a little bit more aggressive.”
Irving’s 42 points on Feb. 12 came on 15-of-25 shooting from the field, including 7 of 10 from deep and 5-of-5 from the line. He was so determined to score, and so efficient at it, that he played 40 minutes without recording an assist. And, yes, he is a point guard.
“He’s one of the best ever in isolation situations, one-on-one, getting shots off and being efficient with it,” Podziemski said. “You can do a lot of film on it, but it’s in the moment. You’ve got to react to what he’s going to do.”
Podziemski and his comrades submitted a commendable defensive performance Friday night against Sacramento’s guards, limiting explosive scorers Zach LaVine and Malik Monk to a combined 26 points (13 each) on 11-of-23 shooting from the field, including 3 of 11 from distance. LaVine and Monk combined for seven turnovers and shot only one free throw.
Irving, however, is as tough a point-of-attack challenge as there is in the league. The Warriors, victimized in the last meeting, aim to be victors this time.
