As the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks prepare for a Christmas Day showdown, the availability of two key shooters, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, remains the biggest question hanging over the marquee matchup.

It has been a rocky campaign for the Warriors as they are eighth in the Western Conference with a 15-15 record. The Dubs were expected to play at a contender level, but they haven’t met the hype. Similarly, the Mavericks have been beyond disappointing with a poor 12-19 record. They are 11th in the West and have struggled with form, consistency, and injury issues.

Warriors’ Injury Woes Beyond Steph Curry! The latest injury report on the Warriors

Even in his 17th year in the NBA, Steph Curry continues to be the main man for the Warriors. He is available and raring to suit up for Thursday’s game. He had a quadriceps injury, which kept him out for a few games in between, but since his return, he has been in exceptional rhythm.

Curry recorded 26 points, three rebounds, six assists, and two steals in their recent 127-97 win over the Orlando Magic. He will look to continue that momentum at home when they welcome the Mavs.

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His partner, Jimmy Butler, is also available for the Christmas Day game. The veteran forward has been a crucial piece for the Warriors with his consistent performances. He is putting up almost 20 points, 4.7 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game this season.

He recorded 21 points against the Orlando Magic along with three rebounds, four assists, and a block. His scoring, verticality, athleticism, and perimeter defense make him a valuable asset for the Dubs.

Golden State Warriors Injury Report

Warriors coach Steve Kerr must be relieved that there’s not a big injury list heading into this game. Veteran center Al Horford has been promoted to ‘probable’ after missing a few games due to back issues.

According to NBA Insider Anthony Slater, Horford is expected to return against the Mavericks, considering his pregame warmup goes smoothly. However, he may continue to be in rotation as Kerr is expected to play Post or Trayce Jackson-Davis at center, as per Slater’s post on X.

Meanwhile, Seth Curry continues to remain out of contention with a thigh injury.

Are Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis playing tonight? The latest injury report on the Mavericks

Fans are excited for this game mainly because of Klay Thompson returning to the Chase Center, where he created some exceptional memories with the Dubs. However, Thompson missed the last game against the Denver Nuggets as he is managing a knee injury. But luckily for the fans, the shooting guard has been promoted to probable for this game.

Overall, Thompson hasn’t had the desired impact on the Mavericks this season, averaging only 11.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists, while shooting 35.3% from the three.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks are a lot dependent on Anthony Davis to eke out a result in their travel to San Francisco. Davis has been marred with injuries this season, but whenever he has been fit, he has put up great numbers. The big man is cleared for the Christmas game as he is in great form.

AD recorded 31 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals in a fantastic 131-130 win over the Nuggets.

Dallas Mavericks Injury Report

Unlike the Warriors, the Dallas Mavericks have a long injury list for this game. Klay Thompson is listed as probable along with Brandon Williams, Dwight Powell, and Max Christie, while PJ Washington is questionable with a foot injury. Among the confirmed absentees, Dereck Lively II is sidelined as he is recovering from a foot injury, whereas Kyrie Irving is out indefinitely with a knee injury. Lastly, Dante Exum is also undergoing knee surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.

Steph Curry vs Mavericks, Klay Thompson vs Warriors: How they’ve performed in previous matchups

Steph Curry has a brilliant 29-18 record against the Mavericks, and in most of those games, he took over the central role for the Warriors and guided them to victory. Overall, he has faced them in 47 games against Dallas, averaging 23.8 points, 6.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game.

It will always be emotional for the fans and also for Klay Thompson whenever he plays at the Chase Center against the Warriors, the team that drafted him in 2011. He has played four games against the Dubs, averaging 19.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game.

It has been a rough campaign for Thompson, but it could change tonight if he manages to suit up against his former team.

Mavericks vs Warriors preview and what to expect?

This is the first time the Mavericks are facing the Warriors this season. However, the last five meetings between the two teams have been extremely close, with the Mavs taking a slender 3-2 lead.

The Dubs haven’t had the best record (9-4) at home this season, and given the form that the Mavericks are in, they could make a few in-roads at the Chase Center. Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg has been in remarkable form, and AD has supported him really well; together, they could be a handful for the Warriors defensively.

Mavericks vs Warriors predicted starting lineups

Based on the recent injury reports, here are the predicted lineups for Thursday’s game.

Can the Dubs get the win against the Dallas Mavericks?