The Golden State Warriors will get an opportunity to avenge their only loss of the Jimmy Butler era when they host the Dallas Mavericks Sunday in a game that will lead into the raising of Andre Iguodala’s jersey to the Chase Center rafters in San Francisco.
Kyrie Irving exploded for 42 points and Klay Thompson chipped in 17 when the Mavericks held off Butler and the Warriors 111-107 in Dallas on Feb. 12.
Butler, in his third game with the Warriors after having been acquired from the Miami Heat, had 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the loss.
Golden State, which beat the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks in Butler’s first two games, since have gone on to handle the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings. All five games of the Butler era have been on the road.
A couple of hours after Butler is introduced to the Golden State fans for the first time with the Warriors, the team will retire the No. 9 jersey of Iguodala in a postgame ceremony that was scheduled for a day when longtime teammate Thompson could attend.
Iguodala played eight seasons for the Warriors over two stints, helping them to the 2015 NBA championship in his second season with the team and then subsequent titles in 2017, 2018 and 2022.
He was named Finals MVP in 2015 when he averaged 16.3 points on one end of the court and helped limit LeBron James, then of the Cleveland Cavaliers, to just 39.8-percent shooting at the other end.
“It’s going to be fantastic for the entire organization to welcome my brother back,” Curry said of Iguodala. “He helped us win a lot of championships. His IQ, his impact on the game. … We obviously don’t win those without him.”
The same could be said for Thompson, also a member of all four of Golden State’s recent title teams. He will be returning to San Francisco for the third time since seeing a 13-year run with the Warriors end in a sign-and-trade with the Mavericks last July.
Thompson helped the Mavericks to a 143-133 win at Golden State in December, scoring 29 points. Dallas is 2-1 against its Western Conference rival this season.
Thompson said he looks forward to ending the special afternoon on Sunday applauding someone he calls “one of the greatest Warriors in the history of the organization.”
“One of my favorite teammates of all-time,” Thompson said. “He made me, Steph, Draymond (Green) and (Kevon) Looney’s job much easier, as well as Coach (Steve) Kerr and all the coaching staff. We’re indebted to this man for what he gave us. I can’t wait to see your jersey in the rafters.”
For the second straight time, the Warriors will see the Mavericks without star acquisition Anthony Davis, who remains out with a strained left adductor. The game on Sunday will complete the season series between the clubs.
The Mavericks have won three in a row, all at home. They will have another high-profile matchup to complete a two-game California swing on Tuesday when they face former teammate Luka Doncic as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time.
–Field Level Media
