Before the NBA All-Star break, the Dallas Mavericks were riding him despite all of the injuries that continued to deplete their frontcourt.
They were without eight players for their final game before the break against the Miami Heat, including Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively II, Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, and P.J. Washington, and they were still able to squeak out a tough win.
Despite their bad injury luck, they won four of their five games before the All-Star break, including a massive win over the Golden State Warriors at home. Irving erupted for 42 points in this game, and the excitement inside the American Airlines Center was at a high.
This game went down to the wire, and this excitement from inside the arena radiated into Dallas' players, even after the game ended.
Curry gets revenge on Washington for stealing his celebration
As Washington walked to the locker room, he hit Stephen Curry's signature "night night" pose with his teammates celebrating the win, which he also did earlier in the season, and Warriors fans on social media didn't like that one bit. Washington didn't play in this game, and Warriors fans warned him that this would come back to bite him.
11 days later, Dallas played Golden State at the Chase Center, and Curry got his revenge.
On Curry's way to a dominant 16-point third quarter in which he helped the Warriors put the game away, he drilled a stepback three over Washington and did the "night night" celebration while talking trash to Washington.
Curry didn't forget what Washington did after Dallas' last win over the Warriors, and this is a fun storyline to watch moving forward. Curry had 30 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and one steal while shooting 12-20 from the field at the end of the third quarter, and he left his mark on that game. He couldn't be stopped, and he made sure to remind everyone that he is one of the greatest point guards to ever touch the hardwood.
Washington also had a strong game through three quarters, as he had 17 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal while shooting 7-11 from the field and 3-4 from downtown, and he was one of Dallas' few bright spots despite Curry drilling that tough three over him from the left wing. Both Curry and Washington are extreme competitors, and neither one of them ever backs down.
Washington is in the middle of an extremely strong stretch, as he has put up two solid games after missing a few games with an ankle sprain before the All-Star break, and his improved 3-point shooting and aggressiveness off the dribble are turning him into a reliable scoring option for Dallas.
This was Dallas' last regular season game against Golden State this season, but we could see Washington and Curry match up against each other in the playoffs in a few months depending on how each team finishes the season. The Mavs will be looking to get revenge on the Warriors for the 126-102 beatdown they suffered in the Bay, but they may have to wait until next season.
