Klay Thompson had himself a throwback performance as he turned back the clock with an incredible outing against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.
Thompson is considered one of the best shooters of all time. Unfortunately, since joining the Dallas Mavericks, the guard hasn’t looked like the player he was during his days in San Francisco.
But when the Mavs found themselves in a must-win situation, the five-time All-Star showed out for his team with a performance reminiscent of his former self.
KLAY KNOCKS DOWN HIS 4TH TRIPLE 🔥
It's not even halftime 👀 pic.twitter.com/gwXl9gifc0
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 17, 2025
The Mavericks went into the second quarter with a two-point deficit. After PJ Washington tied the score with just over 10 minutes left in the quarter, Thompson took over the reins for Dallas.
Scoring bucket after bucket from behind the arc, the Mavs’ guard racked up 16 points in the quarter on the back of four crucial three-point shots. These baskets helped the Mavericks take a commanding lead and eventually set the tone to close out the half.
Thompson ended the night with 23 points, five rebounds, and two assists. His efficient 8/11 shooting from the field and 5/7 shooting from beyond the arc contributed to helping Dallas steal a 120-106 win on the road.
Jason Kidd Gives Klay Thompson A Shoutout For His Crucial Contribution
Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd had a lot of positive things to say about Klay Thompson following the win against the Kings.
“I think the big thing is he’s a champion. We’ve talked about it before. Just tried to get him some shots early,” said Kidd during the postgame press conference.
“I thought he had some great looks that didn’t go down, but he continued to keep playing and continued to make plays for others, and when you do that, good things happen.”
Kidd addressed Klay’s offensive contributions in the second quarter and how he helped the team build a lead at that stage.
“He’s a pro,” Kidd continued. “We believed that he was going to make the shots tonight, and he did.”
In light of the criticism Kidd has had for the guard in recent times, it is safe to say that Thompson has made sure to deliver when the team needed it the most.
The Mavericks’ win against the Kings also marked the end of a losing streak for Thompson. After a horrendous performance against Sacramento in the Play-In tournament last year, the former Warriors guard was subject to a lot of disrespect from the media as well as his contemporaries.
However, with Wednesday’s win in the books, the four-time NBA champion has finally managed to secure his first win against the franchise since November 2023.
Dallas will not have long to celebrate this win, as they hit the road to face off against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. With aspirations of making a deep playoff run, the Mavericks will look to their star players to lead the side in their upcoming fixture.