Golden State Warriors

Mavs got next on Warriors' 1-year anniversary of last home loss

Published Jan. 27, 2016 11:32 a.m. ET

Jeff Caplan

The Golden State Warriors last lost at home exactly one year ago, Jan. 27, 2015. It was an excruciating 113-111 overtime defeat to the Chicago Bulls. It was their second and last home loss of last season. And no team has walked out of Oracle with a win in 21 chances this season.

All in all, that's a 39-game regular-season home winning streak the Warriors will put on the line tonight against the Dallas Mavericks.

Last season, the Mavs lost by 14 points and 15 points, respectively at Golden State. In the first meeting last February, Dallas got off to a blistering start and led 42-25 after one quarter, but lost 128-114. That, however, was an entirely different Mavs team that did not have Deron Williams, Wesley Matthews or Zaza Pachulia (who has missed the last two games with a leg injury).

Dallas squeaked past the Los Angeles Lakers, 92-90, Tuesday night on a Dirk Nowitzki game-winner. That got the Mavs to .500 on the road at 13-13.

Can Dallas be the first to blemish Golden State's perfect home record?

Odds are not in their favor. Coming off a tougher-than-expected game in L.A. certainly doesn't help the cause. The Warriors' average margin of victory at home this season is 16 points. They blasted San Antonio by 30 on Monday. Only seven of 21 visiting opponents have been able to keep the final score under double digits.

Said Mavs forward Chandler Parsons, via the Dallas Morning News, after beating the Lakers:

And the Warriors also have this bit of extra motivation: Their second of four losses, and their worst defeat of the season, 114-91, came at Dallas on Dec. 30 when Curry missed the first of two games with soreness in his lower left leg.

Maybe the Mavs' best chance is hoping the Warriors suffer a letdown after blowing out the Spurs in a game that had been hyped for weeks. Although that might be wishful thinking against a team as determined as Golden State appears to be. On Tuesday, forward Draymond Green said, via the San Francisco Chronicle, that the Warriors aren't overconfident and won't be caught looking past any opponent.