Klay Thompson's return to Chase Center was on track to be a perfect one for the Golden State Warriors legend, with the veteran sharpshooter knocking down six threes and scoring 22 points as his Dallas Mavericks led by six with just over three minutes left on Tuesday night.
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But his old splash brother had other ideas. Stephen Curry had all of his team's last 12 points as the Warriors finished on a 12-3 run in spectacular fashion, ruining Thompson's otherwise celebratory night with a 120-117 victory.
Stephen Curry went nuclear late as the Warriors overcame the Mavericks in a pulsating NBA Cup game on Tuesday night
Curry and Thompson went at each other from the outset, with the latter drawing a shooting foul on his former teammate on the game's first possession. Curry returned fire shortly after with a three over Thompson, and Draymond Green also added an early corner triple despite Thompson's best efforts to close out.
It was a game befitting of the 34-year-old's return and the first NBA Cup game of the season for each team. The stars came out to play with wild swings of momentum that left a pulsating game in the final minutes.
Curry's 12 first-quarter points gave Golden State a six-point lead at the end of the first, but a couple of back-to-back Thompson triples rang loud as part of a 36-26 Mavericks second-quarter. The Warriors responded in the third, scoring 37 of their own to take a seven-point lead into the final period.
The topsy-turvy game continued though as Dallas opened the fourth on a 23-9 run, with Thompson contributing eights points as the visitors appeared to take control of the game. No lead is safe with Curry on the floor, and the 2x MVP ensured he would have the last laugh over Thompson and his new squad with some extraordinary shot-making down the stretch.
Curry finished with 37 points, six rebounds and nine assists, shooting 14-of-27 from the floor and 5-of-12 from three-point range. The 36-year-old was as hyped as we've seen ever seen him after a dagger three over Dereck Lively II in the final 30 seconds, signifying what it meant for him and his team to secure victory on their home floor.
Green was clearly also ready and willing to face his former teammate, coming out of the gates with some incredible plays on both ends in a strong first period. His defense late was almost as spectacular as Curry's scoring, including a clutch block on the much bigger Daniel Gafford.
Thompson's 22 points came on 7-of-17 shooting and 6-of-12 from beyond the arc, with he, Luka Doncic (31) and Kyrie Irving (21) combining for 73 points. The Mavericks have now lost their last three games by a combined six points, having previously lost to the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets.
Jonathan Kuminga had another strong showing with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while Buddy Hield also had 14 in what is becoming a dynamic bench duo. De'Anthony Melton was good again in a starting role, going for 14 points, four rebounds and four assists including a big late three-pointer before Curry's outburst.
The Warriors have now moved to 9-2 on the season ahead of another NBA Cup game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center on Friday.
