The Dallas Mavericks gave up Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals at home on Sunday night.
Losing at home is never a good thing but losing at home for this game was downright devastating.
That’s because the Mavericks are now in a 3-0 hole against the Golden State Warriors.
It’s been said again and again but it’s worth noting: no team has come back from a 3-0 hole.
Reggie Bullock is the first player to shoot 0-10 or worse in a playoff game since Trevor Ariza in the infamous 2018 WCF Game 7. pic.twitter.com/70lamvOIV2
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 23, 2022
There were many reasons for Dallas’ loss but one of the bigger ones was the absence of Reggie Bullock.
Bullock played for 39 minutes and had plenty of possessions but ended up with zero points for the game.
That makes him the first player to shoot 0-of-10 or worse in a playoff game since Trevor Ariza sank like a stone during Game 7 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals.
Ariza’s dismal night was also against the Warriors.
What is it about this team that makes powerful players totally obsolete?
No Bother From Bullock
It was shocking to see Bullock go for 0 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.
So far this postseason, he has been averaging 10.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.
As you can tell, Game 3 was a complete deviation from that.
The Warriors are known for outsmarting their opponents.
They figure out what makes them so special and then they limit them in that department.
That is exactly what happened with Bullock, who was locked down by Golden State’s defense in every way.
He couldn’t get off a good shot and he couldn’t maneuver his way into the paint either.
No matter what he tried, the Warriors were ready to stop him.
They did the same thing with several other Mavericks players – Maxi Kleber also scored zero – and that made all the difference.
The Mavericks were dismantled by the Warriors on Sunday night and that’s why they are now facing elimination.
NEXT: Mavericks Stuck In An Impossible Position Following Game 3 Loss