Golden State Warriors Face Crucial Game At Dallas

Nov 27, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) drives to the basket past Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Warriors 103-99. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors are on a quick two-game, two-night tour of Texas and Tuesday night’s game against the Mavericks in Dallas is the key to the trip.

The Warriors go to red-hot San Antonio on Wednesday, so it’s likely that in order to earn a split, the Dubs have to get the win Tuesday against Dallas.

Golden State (45-28) is currently sixth in the Western Conference, 2 ½ games behind fifth-place Portland and just a 1½ games ahead of the mosh pit that is the seventh through ninth spots, where Dallas, Memphis and Phoenix are tied at 44-30.

The Pacific Division title is all but lost—the Clippers have a magic number of two to win the division title for the second straight year, meaning any combination of Clipper wins and Warrior losses adding up to two finishes it.

"“Any loss in the end of March and April is tough,” Stephen Curry told STATS.com. “We’ve got to keep our heads up. We always say don’t get too down on nights like this when you still have (nine) games to play to continue to figure it out.”"

The Warriors have lost two of their last three, including a bad loss to the Knicks on Sunday at Oracle Arena, and go to Texas without center Andrew Bogut (pelvic/groin contusion … yes, it’s probably as uncomfortable as it sounds) and likely won’t have power forward David Lee, who hasn’t practiced in a week while nursing a hamstring strain.

The Warriors are 2-1 against Dallas this season, with each team winning at home. The Mavericks took the first game of the season set on Nov. 27 at American Airlines Center 103-99, with the Warriors coming back at the “O” with a 95-93 win on Dec. 11 and a 108-85 drubbing of the Mavs on March 11.

Golden State is just 1-6 in its last seven games at AAC, the lone win coming on Nov. 19, 2012, when they came away with a 105-101 overtime triumph.

So why is the Dallas game so significant? Because the Warriors don’t win at San Antonio during the regular season. They just don’t.

OK, they do … it’s just been more than 16 years since they did.

Golden State’s last win at San Antonio won Feb. 14, 1997, a 108-94 win at the Alamodome, a win that happened so long ago that it was the year before the Spurs drafted Tim Duncan.

So, yes, the Dubs are 0-for-San Antonio since Duncan came to the franchise. And, well, there’s that whole 0-21 at AT&T Center … thing.

But the Warriors do have a win in that building. It came in Game 2 of last season’s Western Conference semifinals, when they beat the Spurs 100-91 to even the series after losing a double-overtime heartbreaker in the series opener.

Still, if the Warriors want to emerge from deep in the heart of Texas with at least a split, Tuesday night in Dallas is likely the key.