Steph Curry leads the Warriors past the Mavericks in Klay Thompson's return

The Golden State Warriors' home game against the Dallas Mavericks had been circled on the calendar since the schedule was published. It marked the return of Klay Thompson after 13 glorious seasons in the Bay Area. It was a game you had to clear your schedule for, if for no other reason than the mood and emotions.

And then the game itself delivered what was arguably the best game of the young NBA season, as the Warriors won a thriller, defeating the Mavericks 120-117, and moving back into a tie for the best record in the Western Conference .

After a heartwarming tribute to Thompson, the game began. To the surprise of no one, the Mavs ran their first play through Klay, who was guarded by his old vice president, Steph Curry. Thompson made the most of their first interaction, drawing a foul and making both free throws.

With Curry Thompson, De'Anthony Melton Kyrie Irving and Andrew Wiggins guarding Luka Dončić, the Dubs and Mavs went to battle. Dallas took an early lead, but Golden State went on a 9-0 run that was punctuated by one of the best defensive plays of the season: Draymond Green blocked a three-point attempt and saved the ball on the start of a fastbreak and Melton laid it in.

Green also provided an offensive spark with two three-pointers as the Dubs built a lead, but then Irving went into crazy shooting mode to keep Dallas close. Golden State's offense was going great, but after Irving cooled off, Dončić took over the incredible shooting while the Mavs stayed within striking distance. After the first quarter, Curry and Dončić both had 12 points, but the Warriors held a 33-27 lead.

The Mavs, led by Luka, went on a rapid run in the second quarter. An 8-0 run gave Dallas a lead, and then that turned into a 13-0 run and, behind back-to-back three-pointers from Thompson, a 16-2 run and a seven-point Mavs lead. Suddenly the Dallas offense was unstoppable and before anyone could tell what was happening, the Warriors were in a double-digit hole.

But the Warriors fought back and ended the quarter with a three-pointer from Jonathan Kuminga and a circus shot that Curry fired over Thompson for the only points of the quarter. They trailed 63-59 at halftime, but it was anyone's game.

And then the famous Warriors of the third quarter showed up. They quickly tied the game before Klay answered with a three. Led by a torrid pace and a torrent of points from Curry, the Warriors went on a 16-0 run to take a 13-point lead. But there were no visions of collapse. As has been the case with the Dubs all season, one team's run was answered by the other team's run, and Dallas responded with 10 unanswered points of their own. However, the Warriors didn't let the momentum waver too much and ended the third quarter with a 96-89 lead after outscoring Dallas by 11 points in the game.

But the fourth quarter brought out the star that Irving is. On the first possession, he prepared a magical dish for Dereck Lively II for a layup. On the second possession, he sank a tough basket. On the third possession, he called a foul on Brandin Podziemski and drained both shots from the charity stripe, making it a one-point game. A few possessions later, he tied the game with a three-pointer. A few possessions later, Thompson gave Dallas the lead with a three-pointer of his own.

In a run game, the Mavericks had one last attempt, with a 7-0 run giving Dallas a seven-point lead with around four and a half minutes left.

And then the Warriors, who were among the league's elite defenses this year, caved in and put up one of the best defensive minutes imaginable.

It started with Melton grabbing a pocket and firing a three-pointer at the other end to cut the deficit to four points.

A few possessions later, Green made a charge against Daniel Gafford, leading to a three-pointer for Curry and cutting the lead to one. On the very next possession, Green made an egregious block on Gafford, and one possession later, the defense of – who but Green against Gafford – forced Thompson to throw the ball away. On the other side, a Curry layup gave the Warriors the lead with less than two minutes left.

The teams exchanged lost possessions – Thompson missed a three-pointer, then Curry threw away a lob, then Dončić missed a jumper – giving the Dubs a two-on-one chance while also maintaining a one-point lead. Curry, with ice in his veins, capped a 10-0 run in which he scored all 10 points by firing a three-pointer and hitting his former teammate and current rival with his patented night-night celebration.

But it wasn't over yet. Quentin Grimes responded with a three-pointer to make the game a point. Curry made two free throws with 13.9 seconds left, but Dallas still had a chance to tie the game. An almost perfect defensive ball forced Dončić into a circus three-pointer, and even his theatrical play wasn't enough as it was nowhere near the goal.

And so the Dubs emerged with a victory over their beloved former teammate in one of the most entertaining games of the season, improving to 9-2 on the season while also winning their first tournament game of the season.

Curry's explosion resulted in a season-high 37 points, along with six rebounds, nine assists, one steal and two blocks. Green was everywhere and finished the game with 11 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals, two blocks and no turnovers. Wiggins, Melton and Trayce Jackson-Davis all played brilliantly, while Kevon Looney changed the game off the bench with 11 rebounds…nine of which came on the offensive glass. Thompson, who was cheered most of the night but also greeted with shouts of “air ball” after a late miss, dropped 22 points while shooting 6 of 12 from long range, while Dončić had 31 points and Irving 21.

The Warriors seemed incredibly fired up, and Curry and Green's intense celebration toward the end of the game made it clear that this was a meaningful game. Was this because of Thompson's return? The magnitude of a tournament game during the season? The chance to prove yourself against the reigning conference champions? The opportunity to show that they are actually a contender?

Maybe a combination of those four, but there was a level of competitive intensity that felt on par with the team's championship seasons. And it was a lot of fun to watch.

The Dubs now have a few days off to enjoy home before hosting the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night at 7:00 pm PT.