Klay grateful for unforgettable return vs. Steph, Warriors

Klay grateful for unforgettable return vs. Steph, Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – How many times have we seen this movie before? One made shot ignites the flame. The next make sees flames turn to fire, ready to grow. Blink, and flames are fully developed, decaying all opposition in the fire’s way.

Klay Thompson’s right hand was impossible to extinguish when on a heater countless times over his 13 years with the Warriors. In his return to Chase Center on Tuesday night, playing the Warriors for the first time as a member of the Dallas Mavericks, Thompson felt what it’s like when Steph Curry catches fire with no answers for his inferno.

“It hurts to be on the other side of one of his flurries,” Thompson said. “Guy got hot at the end and made some ridiculous shots. I know I’ve been on the other end, and it sucks.”

Curry scored the Warriors’ final 12 points in the last three-plus minutes of the Warriors’ 120-117 win against Thompson and the Mavericks, giving him a game-high 37 points, which also was a season-high for him.

For more than a decade, the duo of Curry and Thompson formed the greatest backcourt in NBA history. Four championships and many more unforgettable moments than that. Thompson saved his best for his former team as well, scoring 22 points and making six 3-pointers.

His first made bucket of the fourth quarter was a three at the 7:33 mark to give the Mavs a 103-102 lead. Fifty seconds later, Thompson’s driving layup again put Dallas up by one point, 105-104. The last made shot he connected on was a three with a little more than five minutes remaining, pushing Dallas’ lead to five points, 110-105.

It was a surprise for many to see Curry start the game guarding his former teammate and forever Splash Brother, but it gave everybody great cinema on Golden State’s stage.

Back and forth they went, with both getting the best of each other at different instances, bringing old memories back to life.

“It was fun to match up with Steph,” Thompson said. “I mean, we guarded each other plenty of times in practice, the Team USA camp and All-Star Games. A…

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Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-11-13 08:33:00

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