The Golden State Warriors have suffered their first loss since the infusion of Jimmy Butler, with the visitors falling to the Depleted Dallas Mavericks 111-107 at American Airlines Center on Wednesday.

Playing without Anthony Davis and a host of other key players, the Mavericks were always going to need an eruption from Kyrie Irving if they were to beat a Warrior team coming off back-to-back wins over the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks.

That’s just what Irving delivered for the under-fire franchise, with the star guard going for 42 points on 15-of-25 shooting and 7-of-10 from 3-point range in his team’s hard-fought four-point victory.

The Warriors biggest post-trade flaw was exposed on Wednesday

Following the departure of their lead perimeter defender in Andrew Wiggins via trade last week, there’s been concerns over who (if anyone) would be capable of stepping into such a role for Golden State.

Irving took advantage of that new flaw in the Warrior defense, cutting them apart throughout the game which included a devastating burst of three-straight triples during the third period. Yet despite that, Golden State weathered the storm and had their chances down the stretch, with a Stephen Curry three with 3.5 minutes remaining giving them their first lead since the opening minutes.

The 2x MVP had another chance to give his team the lead in the final 40 seconds, but uncharacteristically missed the second free-throw to leave the game tied. Naji Marshall then scored over Curry on the ensuing possession, before Kyrie Irving drew a contentious charge call that would have otherwise been an and-1 layup for Jimmy Butler.

LMFAOOOOOO HE IS FULLY SLIDING OVER I AM DONE DUDE pic.twitter.com/QQtAySkkol

— japtaa⚡️ (@DubsBetterr) February 13, 2025

The officiating was incredibly questionable throughout the game, with Steve Kerr drawing a technical foul at one point after a heated exchange during a timeout. The Warriors only have themselves to blame though, having shot just 42.7% from the floor and 28.6% from beyond the arc.

Curry got going late but still took 23 shots to get to his 25 points, which included going just 4-of-13 from 3-point range. Buddy Hield also shot just 1-of-9 and 1-of-6 from deep, with the starting backcourt failing to deliver for Golden State offensively.

Butler added a third-straight 20-point game with 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while Draymond Green kept his team in the game with some impressive defensive possessions as the veteran forward stuffed the box score with 13 points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks in less than 32 minutes.

Moses Moody and Gary Payton II each had 14 points off the bench, but both struggled to contain Irving which forced Kerr into double-team the veteran guard consistently over the closing minutes.

Some of the growing momentum has now faded for the Warriors who will now face a tough second night of a back-to-back against the Houston Rockets on Thursday.