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Mavericks look right ship vs. Warriors in Game Four

Apr 29, 2007 - 12:51 PM Dallas at Golden State 10:00 pm EDT Western Conference First Round Warriors lead, 2-1

OAKLAND, California (Ticker) - The Dallas Mavericks are in an unimaginable position.

Coming off a embarrassing loss in Game Three, the Mavericks will look to right the ship when they take on the Golden State Warriors in a pivotal Game Four of their best-of-seven first-round series on Sunday.

After starting the season with four straight losses, Dallas went on to win a franchise-record 67 games en route to the league's best record - tied for sixth-best in NBA history - and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Mavericks also reeled off three impressive winning streaks of 12 games or more, including a 17-game run from January 27-March 11. But it has been a totally different story for Dallas in the postseason.

Playing in front of a raucous crowd, Jason Richardson scored 30 points and Baron Davis added 24 as the Warriors dismantled the Mavericks, 109-91, in their first home playoff game in 13 years.

"We were just a step slow," Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said. "I just didn't see that look in our guys' eyes. We have to consistently get our swagger back. We have to get it quickly and it better be consistent. We need to do a much better job than we did."

Andris Biedrins collected 10 points and 10 rebounds for Golden State, which played at a frantic pace, blowing Dallas off the court with relentless penetration. As a result, the Warriors have taken a shocking two-games-to-one lead in the first-round series.

"It was our best game of the series," Warriors coach Don Nelson said. "I do expect Dallas to play their best game in the next game. Right now, we are playing the best ball of the season. We had great support from our fans and we just need to keep our guard up for the rest of the series. This was a breakout game for us."

Golden State guard Baron Davis admitted that when his squad is hitting on all cylinders it is very tough to handle.

"(The Mavericks) did a great job in Game Two and they are a good defensive team," Davis said. "We just had to make adjustments. Our style of play is very difficult to defend because we have five guys that can penetrate the lane and make plays. I just wanted to stay aggressive and go to the hole."

The series will shift back to Dallas for Game Five on Tuesday.