Kelly Oubre Jr drops career-high 40 PTS in Warriors' blowout 147-116 win over Mavs: WATCH

When Kelly Oubre Jr. started playing for the Golden State Warriors this season, he was scoring sparsely. Many labelled him as the wrong choice for the team, especially to replace Klay Thompson. However, Oubre picked up his pace over the last month, steadily improving his game – which includes his three-point shooting. On Thursday (Friday IST), Oubre shot 70% from beyond the arc (7-10), dropping career-high 40 points in the Warriors 147-116 shootout win against the Dallas Mavericks. 

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NBA live score: Kelly Oubre Jr career high leads Warriors to 147-116 win over Mavericks

The Mavericks seemed to start strong, dropping threes in the first half and securing a 76-74 lead. The Warriors, however, made another spectacular second-half comeback. The team dropped 36 points in the third period, which even included a 21-6 run. The Warriors were playing with a depleted roster, missing rookie James Wiseman, Kevon Looney, Eric Paschall and Marcquere Chriss – all sidelined due to injuries. 

Kelly Oubre Jr points

Oubre also went 14-of-21 from the field (66.7%) and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line (83.3%), making 8 rebounds and 2 assists. As per ESPN stats, Oubre is also the fifth Warriors star playing under head coach Steve Kerr to drop 40 points in a game. Steph Curry, Thompson, Kevin Durant and D'Angelo Russell are the others. Additionally, the team also made 35-plus points in every quarter for the first time since January 8, 1991 against the Denver Nuggets. 

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Both Curry and Kerr also complimented Oubre after the game. Drew Shiller, co-host of Warriors Outsiders on NBC Sports Bay Area, reported their words. Curry – who scored 28 points – referred to the 25-year-old as 'awesome', appreciating his aggression and decisiveness. Kerr spoke about Oubre's confidence, which did not falter despite what others were saying. 

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Warriors vs Mavericks score

Draymond Green scored a double-double with 11 points and 15 assists. Andrew Wiggins added 18, while Juan Toscano-Anderson finished with 14 points. Damion Lee led the bench with 17 points, while Mychal Mulder added 14. Luka Doncic scored team-high 27 points for the Mavericks, while Kristaps Porzingis added 25. 

Both teams will face each other again on Saturday, 8:30 PM EST (Sunday, 7:00 AM IST). 

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(Image credits: AP)