SAN FRANCISCO - Klay Thompson is playing a few more minutes now, making beautiful passes and hitting shots from all over the floor. Sure, everyone told him to expect it to rust for a while - and he doesn't have to.
"I really take pride in my efficiency, so it felt good to be myself again," Thompson said.
The Golden State shooting star made a comeback and scored 15 points to go with six assists after being out of two games, Stephen Curry had 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and the Warriors defeated Luka Doncic and Dallas on Tuesday night. Defeated the Mavericks 130-92.
It was a tough night for Dallas to watch Tim Hardaway Jr. go down with a broken fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot. The guard was assisted with a 7:16 in the second quarter and did not return. Hardaway awkwardly went down on a drive and caught his leg, but was able to get up and shoot his free throw before leaving for the locker room.
“I just want to say how sorry we are to hear this. You don’t like to see anyone get hurt,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “I just want to send him my greetings on behalf of the organization and Hope he returns soon. I don't know what the forecast is. We feel terrible for him. ,
Thompson missed one rest Friday for a back-to-back 94-92 win over Utah on Sunday with pain in his surgically corrected left knee that he said he hyperextended while playing the last time. Which caused some swelling.
"My mindset is just to play with energy, a lot of focus and joy," said Thompson, who played a season-high 25 minutes.
Each game, Thompson is looking more comfortable after his 2 1/2-year absence.
"I think it was Kel's best game in terms of patience and letting things happen, he wasn't forcing it at all," Kerr said.
Twice late Thompson hit rookie Jonathan Kuminga, who dazzled again with a high-flying slam on Josh Green with 7:12 in the game and converted one for a three-point play. Curry looked on in pure admiration and Cuminga walked up to the bench with a big grin.
He ditched the following possession again and hit 3 down the next time and ended up shooting 8 out of 9 for 22 points.
"Growing up watching Kyle play basketball, I'm actually not surprised to see him pass the ball the way he does today," Kuminga said.
Doncic had 25 points and eight rebounds, while Hardaway scored 10 points in 10 minutes, lacking a strong defense for a Mavericks team that held Golden State to 82 points in a 99–82 win in Dallas on January 5. .
Doncic said of his partner, "It's just bad luck. I talked to him. He's disappointed. Every time you're injured you're sad, so we tried to cheer him up."
Curry made his first 3rd attempt on the 7:13 mark of the first quarter, then missed the next three before halftime, when Golden State led 63–51 on the back of a 54.2% shoot, and again with 5:08. Leading five in all before joining. remaining in the third.
Curry was dismissed for 1 for 13 from his last time out, scoring just 37 for 127 at 3 this month. He has 41 assists in 10 turnovers in the last five matches.
Jordan Poole scored 17 off the bench as Golden State broke a three-game losing streak to the Mavericks.
Kristaps Porzingis exited the game with 8:21 when he booted a ball into the stands. While leaving, he made the fans high five.
Back in the bay
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd enjoys each homecoming in the Bay Area. He was born in San Francisco, went to high school in the East Bay suburb of Alameda and attended California-Berkeley.
"It's always nice to be back home and meet family and friends," Kidd said. "It's great. I'm back as an assistant coach, a head coach and a player."
KIDS ON KLAY
With Thompson detached from the knee prior to June 2019, then a torn Achilles tendon that required surgery, opposing coaches like Kidd are thrilled to see Splash Brother play again after such a difficult rehab.
"It's unbelievable to come back from not just one injury but two. That's Kel, that's his character. He's a champion," Kidd said.
Tip-ins
Mavericks: G Sterling Brown was ruled out after playing the fourth game in a row with a pain in his left leg. ... Dallas had a four-game winning streak on the home floor of Golden State, which was broken with their last loss in the Bay Area on December 22, 2018 (120-116).
Warriors: Golden State took 8 for 21 in the first half and scored 17 runs for 43 overall. ... Warriors honored Hall of Famer Chris Mullin during a season-long celebration of the team's greats in the 75th anniversary year. Kerr remembered the "cunning" lefty. ... Nemanja Bjelica scored her second double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and added four of the team's 31 assists.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: At Portland on Wednesday night to complete a back-to-back.
Warriors: Host the Timberwolves on Thursday night in the sixth game of a seven-game homestand, having won the last 10 against Minnesota at home.