Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Klay Thompson went viral for all the right reasons during his throwback performance against the Boston Celtics. Head coach Jason Kidd's team had a terrific night on Thursday in their 127-120 victory over the defending champs. As the Mavericks wait for the impending debut of star power forward Anthony Davis, this squad looks primed to move up in the Western Conference standings.
Thompson set the tone in this Finals rematch with 23 of his 25 points in the first half, making 10 out of his first 13 shots. All of these points were crucial in setting the tone in a contest that was not as close as the final score indicated. And social media justifiably heaped praise on Klay for his vintage performance.
The Dallas Mavericks showcased their potential on Thursday night
Even without their new best player, the Dallas Mavericks looked like a scary team against the defending champs. The Celtics could do nothing to stop a Dallas offense that looked explosive and unpredictable. This includes 57 points off the bench from the trio of Naji Marshall, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Max Christie.
Kyrie Irving scored 19 points and also recorded four steals against a predictably hostile crowd. While the Celtics rallied a few times throughout the game to make Dallas fans sweat, every barrage of threes was met with clutch shots from several players.
The Mavericks now move to 27-25 overall, which is currently eighth in the Western Conference. With 30 games left in the season, Jason Kidd's team has time to significantly move up in the standings if it starts racking up the wins. Dallas' remaining strength of schedule now ranks at 14th overall.
Overall, this was a statement win for a team with several dangerous players on its roster. The Mavericks are looking to win their second title in franchise history over these next few years. In a Western Conference that is deep but young at the top, it feels like anything is possible heading into this postseason.
However, from now until then, Dallas has to build chemistry with its new core quickly. But if Klay Thompson plans on turning in more performances like he did on Thursday night, the Mavericks will be a real problem for the foreseeable future.
