THAT'S THREE!!!

Warriors put Mavs on ropes

Janny Hu, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, April 30, 2007

The Warriors might want to add more words to their playoff slogan:

We Believe ... in the Unbelievable.

Like Baron Davis banking in a three-pointer from near midcourt to end the first half.

Like the Warriors erasing nine-point deficits in both the second and third quarters.

Like the Warriors -- the eighth-seeded, underdog, we're-just-happy-to-be-here Warriors -- suddenly one win away from one of the biggest upsets in playoff history after rallying one last time for a 103-99 thriller over Dallas in Game 4.

"We refused to lose tonight," Matt Barnes said. "We've got a whole lot of heart on this team, and we refuse to lose. That's the bottom line."

Believe it or not, the Warriors will head to Dallas today with a 3-1 series lead and three chances to become the first No. 8 seed ever to eliminate a No. 1 seed in a best-of-seven format.

The last time the Warriors won a playoff series was in 1991 against San Antonio. They're so close to making history now, they can feel it.

"Hell, yeah," Al Harrington said. "We're just one game away."

On Sunday, Golden State took Dallas' best shot and swatted the Mavericks all the way to the edge of elimination. After allowing the Mavs to dictate the tempo all night, the Warriors were down 90-86 with four minutes left.

Then they unleashed a 10-0 run off three-pointers and hustle plays, and the one that got them over the hump was symbolic on so many levels: Jason Richardson swiped a pass and outletted to Davis, who streaked past Dirk Nowitzki for the go-ahead layup.

For the first time in the fourth, Golden State led 91-90 with 2:33 to go, and the sold-out crowd went wild. And it only got louder after Davis found Andris Biedrins for a slam dunk, louder after another Richardson steal, louder after Davis hit a fadeaway, and louder still after Barnes nailed a three-pointer for a 99-93 lead over the shell-shocked Mavs with 23.3 seconds left.

"They never really closed the door on us and we kicked it back open at the end of the game," said Barnes, who had eight points and seven rebounds off the bench.

"I know when I first came here, we're down like that, big-time-caliber game like it is now, I don't think we would've fought back," added Stephen Jackson, who had 19 points. "We're learning to keep our composure, to find ways to win."

Davis tied his playoff-career high with 33 points. Richardson added 22 and reserve Mickael Pietrus delivered an energizing 16 points, five rebounds and two steals.

This one didn't come easy, though. The Mavs -- perhaps spurred by a players'-only meeting called by Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse on Saturday -- put together a solid effort and probably their grittiest of the series.

Dallas coach Avery Johnson started his third lineup in four games, pulling center Erick Dampier for DeSagana Diop, and the switcheroo appeared to work as Diop collected four rebounds and a block in his opening stint.

The Warriors were a step slow defensively, leaving Mavericks open across the court, and Josh Howard, Nowitzki and Stackhouse finally snapped out of their shooting slumps. That led to a quick nine-point deficit and numerous substitutions before Pietrus provided the much-needed lift off the bench.

In a two-minute span, he slammed home a missed Richardson jumper, skied for a defensive rebound over three Mavericks, and came out of nowhere to block a Terry layup from behind. He followed that by hitting a pair of threes, the second of which knotted the game at 42-42 with 2:14 left in the first half.

Pietrus also delivered the game-sealing play after Nowitzki hit a pair of late threes to give the Mavs a short-lived lifeline. With the Mavs by three and 1.8 seconds left, Pietrus stole the final inbounds pass to clinch a Game 4 win and give Golden State a head full of confidence heading into Game 5 in Dallas -- its first chance to close out the series.

"As long as we believe in ourselves, we'll be all right," Davis said.