Without Curry, Warriors fall hard in blowout loss to Mavericks

A world without Stephen Curry in the lineup is one the Golden State Warriors would rather not be a part of.

The defending NBA champions went into the American Airlines Center on Wednesday night against a Dallas Mavericks team riding a three-game winning streak, as the league's reigning Most Valuable Player sat out with a leg injury.

For just the second time this season, interim head coach Luke Walton's crew came out on the short end of a game, losing 114-91 to the Mavericks.

Mavericks guard J.J. Barea put forth one of his strongest performances of the season, scoring a game-high 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting, along with five makes from deep on seven assists. Dallas also had five other players hit double figures, including Dirk Nowitzki, who chipped in a near double-double of 18 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes of action.

Curry's absence was just one of many for the Warriors on this night, as Leandro Barbosa (shoulder), Festus Ezeli (toe), and Harrison Barnes (ankle) all missed the game.

This put more pressure on Klay Thompson and Draymond Green to carry the offense, which proved to be too tall a task against the Mavericks, as the pair combined for just 21 points on 8-of-30 shooting and 2-of-8 from behind the arc.

It was Ian Clark leading the way for Golden State, scoring a career-high 21 points in 23 minutes - the fourth time this season he's scored in double digits.

Even in defeat, Warriors fans can take solace in the fact that their team's 29-2 record is still the best in NBA history through 31 games. There's still a chance Curry could return for a New Year's Eve clash against the Houston Rockets, and head coach Steve Kerr appears ready to return to his position sooner rather than later.

The Mavericks, on the other hand, will look to keep their winning streak alive on New Year's Day on the road against the Miami Heat.