Thompson gets new Curry experience in Bay Area return
Klay Thompson’s return to Golden State featured the one thing that very few people only got to see—and only in practice: Stephen Curry guarding his former Splash Brother.
“It was pretty surreal,” Thompson said on Tuesday in the Bay Area.
“Captain Klay” also got to experience a Curry moment for the first time: Being on the firing end of one of the Warriors’ superstar’s hot streak.
Curry scored 37 points as the Warriors spoiled Klay Thompson’s return to the Bay Area with a thrilling 120-117 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the opening round of the NBA Cup.
Curry scored 10 unanswered points, hit a dagger triple and then sent Thompson off with his iconic “night, night” celebration.
“It hurts to be on the other side of one of his flurries,” Thompson said. “Guy got hot in the end and made some ridiculous shots. You know, I’ve been on the other end and [being on the firing end] sucks.”
Guard of honor
Thompson—a beloved fixture of Golden State champion teams and a Bay Area icon before joining Dallas in July—received a rapturous welcome in his first game back in San Francisco since his departure.
“It was fun matching up against Steph. We guard each other a lot of times in practice and with Team USA camps and All-Star games,” he said, adding that experiencing it in a competitive NBA game felt different.
The 34-year-old was given a guard of honor by cheering Golden State staff upon his arrival at Chase Center before fans wearing nautical caps roared their appreciation for the player who famously used to commute to work in his fishing boat.
But despite delighting the home crowd with six three-pointers in a 22-point haul, Thompson was upstaged by former teammate Curry, who produced a stunning fourth-quarter performance to drag the Warriors over the line.
The Mavericks looked poised to snatch victory after battling into a six-point lead at 114-108 with just over three minutes remaining.
But Curry then took over with his scoring spree—including one sensational step-back three from 28 feet—to put Golden State into a 118-114 lead, before adding two late free throws to seal the win.
Embiid back
“There was a lot of emotion but both teams wanted to win,” Curry told TNT television. “It was a playoff-like atmosphere, with great players making great plays. That’s why we love the competition.”
Luka Doncic led Dallas’ scorers with 31 points while Kyrie Irving added 21.
“I know there were [some] games this year that could have gone either way [but] this one stung, up seven under four minutes left,” Thompson said. “[We need to] watch this film and get better.”
The four-time champion with the Warriors said he is looking forward to playing against his former team and told his teammates to “stay the course” during their current struggle.
“I’m proud of how this team keeps fighting,” he said. “I keep telling the guys it’s better to go through this early in the season versus Game 60. We have a chance to be great.”
Meanwhile, Joel Embiid made his long-awaited first appearance of the season but was unable to prevent the Philadelphia 76ers from sliding to a 111-99 defeat to the New York Knicks.
Embiid missed the first six games of the season as the team managed his rehabilitation from a left knee injury, and was suspended for three games after a locker room altercation with a journalist.
Embiid’s lack of game time was apparent in a sluggish performance that saw him finish with 13 points, five assists and three rebounds.
“He was a little rusty,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. “But I thought he played with some pretty good competitive spirit for what he can do out there.” —WITH REPORTS FROM INQUIRER SPORTS, AFP
