The Dallas Mavericks opened their NBA season on a high note, securing a 120-109 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, and saw an impressive debut from Klay Thompson, who put on a standout performance.
Thompson dropped 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds while setting a new franchise record, going six-for-ten from deep. This feat made him the first player in Mavericks history to hit six threes in a debut game.
“Couldn’t ask for a better start. Sharing the floor with Kyrie [Irving], Luka [Doncic], and the rest of the guys… I feel great. Blue is my favorite color, and Mavs blue looks good on me,” Thompson commented postgame via ClutchPoints on X (formerly Twitter).
Thompson also shared that he felt nervous at first but quickly got into a rhythm. “Well, the feelings were a lot of nerves, anxiousness, but after a few minutes and seeing one [shot] go through, you feel great. Great debut,” Thompson continued. “It’s only one game in October, but it feels good to get the first one out of the way. Setting a record is always a great feeling and something I’ll never take for granted.”
Klay Thompson #31 of the Dallas Mavericks is defended by Chris Paul #3 of the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter of the game at American Airlines Center. Sam Hodde/Getty Images
Thompson on teaming up with Doncic
This was Thompson’s first official game with Luka Doncic, who missed preseason action due to a calf injury. Thompson, who played alongside Kyrie Irving during friendlies, joined Dallas’s newly-formed “Big Three” on the court for the first time.
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“It was great to be out there with Luka. What an incredible talent,” Thompson shared in the post-game press conference. “It doesn’t make any sense because what we’re taught growing up is, as far as being the best basketball player, you gotta jump the highest, you gotta run the fastest, but somehow Luka defies that. He plays at his own speed, and he manipulates the game as good as I’ve ever seen anyone do it.”
Thompson is focused on the road ahead
Thompson, who faced a rocky preseason, looked confident in his first regular-season outing and attributes some of that to his chemistry with Doncic. But he’s not letting one strong performance distract him from the team’s larger goals.
“Tonight was a great start, but I’m not satisfied,” Thompson emphasized. “We have so much basketball ahead, and from my experience, you can never get too high during the regular season. We have really big goals. So, one good win at home is not going to satisfy any of us. We want to be really, really good this year and get back to where they were last year.”
