Stephen Curry shines as Warriors spoil Klay Thompson's Mavericks return

SAN FRANCISCO — Given their histories — the four championships they both won, the shooting records they both set, the thousands of three-pointers they both drained — the moment bordered on surreal.

As the final seconds of the second quarter ticked away, Stephen Curry was guarded by Klay Thompson. On paper, this game, in which the Warriors narrowly defeated the Mavericks 120-117 in their first NBA Cup game, featured more than just Curry and Thompson. In reality, that night was about the Splash Brothers.

Curry, who finished with 37 points and nine assists, drove strongly to the right. Thompson, who had 22 points and made six 3-pointers, couldn't stay ahead. Curry, seeing the advantage, stopped, jumped and threw a wild shot. It was more of a shot put than a true floater. It was found anyway.

Thompson picked up the foul; Curry stared at him. This wasn't a mean cup. This wasn't a passing glance. As Curry leaned forward and tensed, his gaze seemed to contain a hint of malice. For all the love Thompson received upon his return to Chase Center — and there was a lot of love — Curry's And-1 served as a reminder of reality.

Curry and Thompson were now mutual obstacles to success. And as Curry has proven countless times, sentimentality has no place on the battlefield. The feeling was mutual.

During the victorious period, both Curry and Thompson played starring roles. With just over five minutes left in regulation, Thompson hit a three-pointer that extended the Mavericks' lead to five points and forced head coach Steve Kerr to call a timeout.

Curry responded in the following minutes with a mid-range jumper, 3-pointer and finger throw that gave the Warriors a 115-114 lead with 1:48 left. On the ensuing possession, Thompson scored the go-ahead shot with a nail-biting three-pointer. Then, with just under 30 seconds left, Curry hit Dereck Lively II with a series of plays before hitting his fifth three-pointer of the night.

Night, night, indeed.

These sequences were two of several instances in which Thompson was the center of attention.

On the first play of the game, as if it was preordained, Curry and Thompson went head-to-head, with the latter beating the former.