Warriors have Dallas on rocks

Royalty everywhere else, a pinata here.

Already wobbling in this series, the Dallas Mavericks found themselves with worse problems Friday night, swallowed up by a folk movement celebrating the first local playoff game since 1994 and run over by the Warriors, 109-91, before 20,629 in Oracle Arena, the largest crowd to see a basketball game in California.

The Warriors, a No. 8-seeded team whose coach, Don Nelson, counted them out in March when they were 26-35, now lead the No. 1-seeded Mavericks, 2-1.

The Mavericks, 67-12 against the rest of the league this season, have lost five of their six meetings with their old coach, Nelson.

Meanwhile, Nelson’s old boss, Dallas owner Mark Cuban, sitting behind the bench, was taunted by the crowd and arose to lead them in cheers.

Jason Richardson, who missed two months with knee problems, led all scorers with 30 points. Baron Davis, back after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in February, had 24.

“Dallas is the best team in the league by far,” said the Warriors’ Stephen Jackson, who was fined $50,000 after his ejection from Game 2 but bounced back with 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists Friday. “They proved it, but we feel we can play with them.

“I came in here out of it today. I was still upset about what happened [Wednesday]. But it’s not about me, it’s about my teammates, it’s about my coaches, it’s about the organization that gave me another chance.”

An original franchise by way of Philadelphia and San Francisco, the Warriors have retained an enthusiastic fan base, to go with their lack of exploits.

“Yes, they have the most loyal fans through thick and thin,” said Commissioner David Stern, who may have come to make sure it was really true.

“And yes, it’s been a little thin.”

It couldn’t get much thinner.

The Warriors hadn’t been in the playoffs in 13 years, hadn’t won a playoff game in 15 years and hadn’t won a series in 16 years.

In their last appearance, the Suns swept them, 3-0, in 1994 after Chris Webber, the brashest rookie of them all, made a Nike commercial that showed him dunking over Charles Barkley, laughing it up with friends while claiming Barkley told him, “I don’t believe in role models ... but you’re mine.”

Barkley, who didn’t think it was so funny, outscored Webber, 92-47.

Showing that their old spirit lives, the Warriors’ stars, Davis and Jackson -- whose credits include going into the stands in the 2004 Auburn Hills riot and shooting off a pistol to break up a fight outside a club in Indianapolis -- were ejected from Game 2.

Nelson fined both players an undisclosed amount for their ejections Wednesday. Not to be outdone, the NBA tacked on the additional $50,000 for Jackson, who had to be dragged away by teammates, which isn’t what the league means by “leaving in a timely manner.”

“Was it partly because of Stephen Jackson’s past history?” mused Stern. “I haven’t talked to Stu [Jackson, the league vice president who levied the fine]. My guess is not very much.

“But the next one will be.”

Having escaped suspension, Jackson, who had outscored his matchup, Dirk Nowitzki, 53-37, proceeded to show the Mavericks he could make plays too, with four assists in the first quarter Friday as the Warriors took a 29-20 lead.

If the Mavericks thought they were in trouble in the first quarter, they found out for sure in the second as Richardson scored seven during an 18-9 run, extending the Golden State lead to 47-29.

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mark.heisler@latimes.com