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Potent Warriors test strength in Dallas

Apr 4, 2015 - 1:41 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The top-seeded and Pacific Division-champion Golden State Warriors shoot for a 12th straight win when they open a three-game road trip Saturday against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Warriors will visit San Antonio and New Orleans on the trip and have won four in a row away from home. They are 27-11 as the visitor and recently went unbeaten on a four-game jaunt from March 24-31.

The 27 road wins are the most in franchise lore.

Golden State is 16-1 since early March and handed the Phoenix Suns a 107-106 defeat its last time out on Thursday in the desert. Harrison Barnes was credited with the game-winning layup and Klay Thompson tied the game on a 3- pointer with 34.7 seconds to go.

After three offensive rebounds by Andrew Bogut and Barnes on the following possession, Thompson kicked it to Stephen Curry in the corner for a 3-pointer that gave the Warriors a brief lead with 8.3 ticks to go. Eric Bledsoe then converted a reverse layup to keep the back-and-forth affair going.

Coming out of a timeout, Barnes took a pass from Andre Iguodala and muscled his way inside before flicking the ball in with less than a second on the clock. Phoenix attempted a last-chance heave but it was off the mark.

"It was probably good for us to feel that situation," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told NBA.com, "and have to deal with the pressure."

Curry had a team-high 28 points to go along with eight rebounds, while Thompson added 16 points for the Warriors, who shot 46.2 percent from the field and had a 50-47 rebounding advantage.

Warriors forward Draymond Green did not play due to shin inflammation and is questionable Saturday. He is averaging 11.8 points and 8.1 rebounds.

Golden State leads the NBA with 109.7 ppg and is 40-0 when holding the opposition under 100 points.

That could be hard with the Mavs on the docket. Dallas is averaging 104.5 ppg this season and will resume a three-game homestand Saturday night.

The Mavericks opened the stay with Thursday's 108-101 loss to James Harden and the Houston Rockets, as Dirk Nowitzki kept the hosts close with 21 points, Monta Ellis added 19 and both Chandler Parsons and Amare Stoudemire added 11 points.

Harden had 24 points, six assists and four rebounds, and went 10-of-12 from the free throw line. Houston made 29 of its 40 foul shots.

"The dribble penetration was a problem," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "Harden is a foul-creating machine."

Dallas has lost five of its last seven games and will close the homestand Wednesday versus the Suns. Dallas has a 25-13 record in Big D this season and is seventh in the West standings.

On the injury front for the Mavs, Parsons is questionable versus Golden State because of a swollen right knee.

The Mavericks are 0-3 against the Warriors this season and winless in the past six meetings between the teams. Golden State has prevailed in each of the last two encounters at American Airlines Center.