Christmas at Chase Center: Warriors win, Klay says hi, and Dub Nation celebrates
Golden State keeps giving Dub Nation reasons to care.
The Warriors beat the Mavericks 126-116 on Christmas Day at Chase Center. Stephen Curry dropped 23 points on 6-of-18 shooting with 2-of-10 from three, adding 4 rebounds and 4 assists in 33 minutes. Jimmy Butler led all Big Face Coffee drinkers with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting, grabbing 9 rebounds and dishing 9 assists in a complete performance that screamed “this is what a veteran acquisition looks like.”
For Dallas, Cooper Flagg went nuclear with 27 points on 13-of-21 shooting, pulling down 6 rebounds and dishing 5 assists. Brandon Williams exploded off the bench for 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting, hitting 7-of-9 from the free throw line in 30 minutes of solid game time.
Klay Thompson, the younger Splash Bro, returned to Chase Center in the wrong uniform and provided the emotional centerpiece, but his 3-of-8 shooting with just one three-pointer made tells a story about how he isn’t finding his footing in Dallas without Luka Doncic (traded) or Kyrie Irving (injured) sharing the court with him. Watching him navigate Chase Center in a Mavericks uniform felt like watching someone try to recreate muscle memory in a body that doesn’t quite respond the same way anymore.
I’m proud of Steve Kerr for apologizing to Draymond Green publicly after their sideline incident earlier this week. That kind of accountability from a coach signals organizational culture that values growth over ego, repair over pride. Kerr modeling humility in leadership matters more than any tactical adjustment. I’m also proud of Draymond Green for removing himself from the bench during that heated moment with Kerr earlier this week instead of giving a Stone Cold Stunner to his coach lololol. That self-awareness in the heat of competition matters more than the initial emotional reaction.
This was the first NBA Christmas I didn’t watch at my grandfather’s place in Vegas since 2016. Papa passed this summer, the man who spent decades telling me Steph Curry ruined basketball because he got everyone shooting threes instead of feeding their big men. The man who loved James Harden because “he gets to the free throw line like a big man” but hated that Harden shot too many threes in the playoffs. The walking contradiction who made me sharpen my basketball arguments until they could cut through his ironclad devotion to post-ups and free throws.
Papa would have absolutely loved this game, probably for all the wrong reasons. He would have pointed at that 44-of-99 shooting performance (44.4%) and muttered something about how the Warriors shot themselves out of rhythm. He would have fixated on Golden State shooting 28% from three and claimed it proved his entire worldview about the death of fundamental basketball. And then Curry stat line would have appeared, and Papa would have jabbed his finger at the newspaper box score: “SEE? NINE-FOR-NINE AT THE FREE THROW LINE! THAT’S HOW YOU PLAY!”
The cruel irony is that Papa died right when the Warriors finally assembled the kind of roster he might have grudgingly respected. Al Horford logged 11 minutes, hitting 4-of-6 shots from beyond the arc for 14 points. Trayce Jackson-Davis contributed 10 points in 13 minutes while starter Quinten Post added 6 points in 14 minutes. The Warriors trotted out a big man rotation capable of wearing down Anthony Davis, mixing height, athleticism, shooting, and passing depending on matchup needs. Papa spent years complaining the Warriors needed a real big man, and now they have three modern-era style bigs rotating through depending on what the defense requires.
But here’s what Papa would have absolutely hated admitting: this game was decided by the exact modern basketball concepts he railed against for years. The Warriors attempted 50 threes to Dallas’s 14. Golden State hit 14 triples compared to Dallas’s 4. That massive point differential from beyond the arc accounts for the margin of victory when you consider Dallas only attempted 21 free throws compared to Golden State’s 26. The math works exactly how the analytics revolution promised it would work.
I talked to my dad yesterday on Christmas morning before tip-off, sharing epiphanies I learned through a year of loss, growth, and healing. When my dad said “Dan, I’m really proud of you and the man you are,” that quiet jolt of positive vibes reminded me what I’m actually proud of beyond basketball. Papa’s death forced me to reckon with how sports arguments become proxy conversations for legacy, for how we pass knowledge forward, for the ways we stay connected across generational divides. It drives me to share with you all how I feel while we have this moment, this time together.
I’m proud of Jimmy Butler for unselfishly supporting Stephen Curry, excitedly embracing the wingman role despite being a tried-and-true number one option his entire career. Butler’s 9 rebounds and 9 assists alongside his 14 points demonstrate how elite players adjust their games to serve team success rather than individual legacy.
I’m very excited about De’Anthony Melton for coming back to the Warriors after his knee injury. If we had him in the playoffs last year, his veteran savvy, defensive intensity, and timely offense might have helped write another chapter in the Golden Empire’s story.
I’m patiently rooting for the duo of Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski for stepping into the shoes Klay left behind. Moody logged 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting with 2-of-5 from three in 30 minutes. Podziemski contributed 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting with 1-of-5 from three, grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing 4 assists in 28 minutes. These Splash Nephews are finding their own ways to be what Curry desperately needs, even if the efficiency isn’t quite there yet.
I’m pumped for Quinten Post, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Al Horford creating a big man rotation that can actually outlast Anthony Davis on Christmas Day. The luxury of throwing different looks at opposing centers depending on whether you need height, athleticism, shooting, or passing represents roster construction sophistication that Papa would have begrudgingly admitted was pretty smart.
I’m so proud of Eric Apricot, whose hard work over the years giving creative vibes to the GSW community is being rewarded through opportunities to create for the Warriors’ organization directly. Without Apricot, Dub Nation HQ isn’t the space that it is, rolling forward year after year pushing out meaningful content and being a place for people to feel like fans. His ascension represents what happens when excellence meets persistence.
Big shout out to Duby Dub Dubs for being the best preview writer in the history of the game. Thank you for always being someone I can grab a beer with and discuss all things life and basketball. P.S. Your new motorcycle is prettttyyyy sick, bro.
My guy Nate P., the Blogfather who found all of us years ago and trained us to be Blog Bois, I’m really proud of you for your transition from caretaker of Golden State of Mind to living the beautiful life with your wife and children. Thank you for always being someone I can spam gifs to after something preposterous happens in the NBA.
A big round of applause for the new wave of scribes Duncan, Riley, and Splash Fro for having the courage, skill level, and consistency to jump into this Dub Nation HQ thing and bless us with their unique perspectives on Warriors basketball for another season.
And most of all I’m proud of you, Dub Nation HQ. Your collective voice is what makes all of this possible. The Warriors absolutely would not be a dynasty without your emotional energy being injected into their veins. Thank you for every cheer, groan, disappointed silence, and angry essay you’ve given to this team through the comment section here at DNHQ. We are the premier location for talking Golden Hoops because of the variation and the absolute enthusiasm you have in chopping it up about all things Warriors, big and small.
Last and not least, let’s give it up for these Warriors. They may make you want to throw your TV off of a bridge with some of the hapless turnovers, and they absolutely have a record that is the personification of inconsistency. But they are truly the most fascinating team to cover in hoops. Their persistent relevance despite their trials and tribulations is a credit to how far they’ve come from only being known at large for Sprewell choking a coach or the We Believe year. That’s why we got to watch our Dubs on Christmas in a prime slot right after presents opening and before family Christmas dinner. We’re legendary! We’re notorious. We are Must See TV, and that’s a blessing to be proud of.
Papa never got to see this particular Christmas game. He never got to witness the Warriors field a legitimate big man rotation that could execute his beloved philosophy while also bombing threes. He never got to argue with me about whether Jimmy Butler’s all-around excellence proves or disproves his theories about what makes basketball beautiful. But his way of explaining how his way watching the game helped me understand a little bit more why I just can’t quit these Warriors. Sometimes, they absolutely defy convention in the way they coach, play, and even celebrate.
Rest easy, Papa. The Warriors won on Christmas. Klay came home wearing different colors. And I’m learning that loss and growth and healing all happen simultaneously, just like offense and defense, just like past and future, just like the game you loved and the game I cover.
Merry Christmas, Dub Nation. Let’s keep making memories worth being proud of!