The Dallas Mavericks got their season off to a winning start with a 120-109 win over the San Antonio Spurs. Klay Thompson made his official debut for the franchise in the contest, nailing six three-pointers and setting the franchise record for most threes in a debut. He gave a heartfelt post-game interview on TNT, reflecting on making his debut for the Mavericks after 13 years with the Golden State Warriors.
“Couldn’t ask for a better start. Just sharing the floor with Kai, Luka, and the rest of the guys is very special after a hard month of really good work. Seeing it come to fruition was awesome. It was a small step for where we want to go, but something we can build off.”
“I feel great. Blue is my favorite color and Mavs blue looks good on me. I am having a great time. Off to Phoenix we go, but wow, incredible. It felt good to get this first win out the way and play well. Not satisfied, but I am happy with what we did tonight.”
Thompson scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds on 7-13 from the field, going 6-10 from three to set the Mavs franchise record for most threes made in a debut.
Luka Doncic seems to already have immense trust in Klay and his shot, running up the court before Klay even attempted a wide-open three in the fourth quarter, knowing his new teammate wouldn’t miss that shot.
Almost exactly two minutes later, Doncic would once again prematurely celebrate a three-point attempt by Klay which was pure cash. This shot wasn’t wide-open like the one before, so it’s a testament to how much Doncic already trusts Klay despite the narratives around his shooting over the last year.
Thompson reacted to those moments of belief from Luka and how it was like sharing the floor with him after Doncic missed all four preseason games for the Mavericks with a calf injury.
“Luka makes the game easier, not just for me, but everybody else in the arena. The gravity he demands, his passing ability is second to none, I am here to help him try and be one of the greatest. We know it’s his team, the show runs through him, but it takes a whole squad to go where we want to go.”
Doncic put up 28 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists in the win, dropping multiple dimes to Klay. The attention Doncic commands on offense is second-to-none with the Spurs defenders having a hard time keeping up with Luka as well as Kyrie Irving, with a bail-out option like Klay on the wing.
Dereck Lively II put up 15 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, showing the Mavericks might also have an option in the paint that needs to be attended to at all times, further opening up the floor for Klay’s offense to thrive.
The Mavericks will now face rivals Phoenix Suns in their second game of the season on Saturday, with the Suns coming off a win over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Suns have an objectively better roster than the Spurs, so the Mavericks shooting and defense will be tested in the face of a roster like Phoenix’s.
