The Golden State Warriors went up against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night in Klay Thomnpson's first visit to the Chase Center since leaving the Warriors this summer. It led to a classic regular season clash which was sealed by Stephen Curry's solo 12-3 run to help the Warriors eke out a 120-117 win over the Mavericks.
Curry's signature moment came with a minute left in the game when he hit a three to make it a four-point game, hitting the Mavericks with the 'night night' celebration afterward. Off camera, a mic'd up Draymond Green was trash-talking Luka Doncic after the shot by yelling 'boom' in the Slovenian guard's ear.
Stephen Curry put up 37 points (14-27 FG), six rebounds, and nine assists, scoring 12 straight points at the end of the game for the win. Draymond Green had 11 points (3-6 FG), seven rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks. The Warriors also got solid production from Jonathan Kuminga's 16 points (6-11 FG) while De'Anthony Melton (6-12 FG) and Buddy Hield (6-13 FG) both scored 14 points in the win.
Luka Doncic's 31 points (13-27 FG), eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals led the Mavericks, but he missed a crucial late three which could have helped the game go to OT. Klay Thompson put up 22 points (7-17 FG) in his return to the Bay Area, but it was for nothing as Curry and Green earned the win.
Klay Thompson Gave Stephen Curry The Fuel He Needed
The Warriors vs. Mavericks matchup was emotional due to Klay returning to the Chase Center, with fans paying tribute by wearing sailor caps to honor the shooter who helped them win four championships. Draymond Green revealed on his podcast that Klay ghosted Curry on text before the game, giving Steph the fuel he needed to send the Mavs home with a loss.
“Steph was supposed to speak before the game. He was like ‘Yeah I called Raymond and told him I’m not speaking. I just need to lock in on the game so I ain’t even speaking, and I talked to Klay about it. He tried to check in with Klay on something else and Klay ghosted him. And he got pissed! And here we go! Here we go! Locked in!”
This led to the Mavericks' third consecutive loss this season, dropping them to 5-6 on the season while the Warriors improved their record to 9-2.
Green also spoke about how Klay is someone who doesn't actively keep in touch with people during the regular season, so it could be a result of him intentionally being aloof. It's clear Curry didn't appreciate that and took it out on the Mavericks afterward in his first signature performance of the season.
