Watch: Steph Curry and Luka Doncic trade half-court shots in practice before clash 

In what was a 'calm before the storm' moment, NBA superstars Steph Curry and Luka Doncic traded half-court shots during their pre-game preparations ahead of the key showdown between the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday in the Bay Area.

Golden State was to host the Dallas Mavericks at the Chase Center in a battle of current streaking teams. The game packed a lot of significance as both teams were trying to fortify their places in the postseason picture.

Before the all-important game got underway though, Steph Curry and Luka Doncic had a light moment during warm-ups, engaging in a game of one-upmanship with midcourt shots. Both shot twice, with the Warriors star guard winning by draining his second shot.

Watch the video of the two with their light moment below, shared by The Athletic on X/Twitter:

Heading into Tuesday's game, Steph Curry and the Warriors (40-34) were riding a four-game winning streak, all the on the road, to create some separation from the Houston Rockets (38-37) for the 10th and last Play-In spot in the Western Conference.

Dallas, meanwhile, won its last seven games to gain a lot of traction and make its way to fifth place in the playoff race. If the Mavericks can maintain such a pace and wind up in the top six, they will earn an automatic playoff spot and avoid going through the Play-In phase.

Steph Curry happy with Warriors' late resurgence

The Golden State Warriors have been impressive on the road of late, winning four straight. It is something that NBA superstar Steph Curry basks in as they make a late push for a playoff spot.

Following their 117-113 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, the four-time NBA champion spoke about their string of wins, and particularly its significance in their playoff push.

The 2009 No. 7 draft pick said:

"We did what we had to do... We responded well. The teams we played are the ones you have to win to keep yourself in the fight. We did that. No style points, really, for any of it. But you get out ofehere with four wins and keep the momentum rolling."

Golden State opened its road trip with a loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves. But after that they responded with victories over the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets and Spurs.

In their last five games, Steph Curry averaged 24.2 points, 6.2 assists and 2,4 rebounds.