Klay Thompson's big night ends with his former splash brother putting the Mavericks to bed

SAN FRANCISCO – The Dallas Mavericks had a lot of distractions.

The evening was marked by a celebration for Klay Thompson and a high-risk NBA Cup opener that heated up the competition between two teams that no longer needed a reason to leave with a win.

The Mavericks wanted to avoid a third straight loss while giving Thompson the homecoming he wanted with a win. The Warriors wanted to continue their dominant start to the season as one of the NBA's top teams while punishing their former teammate with a loss.

The latter was the end result, as Dallas couldn't overcome Stephen Curry's elite shooting in the fourth quarter, resulting in a 120-117 loss on Tuesday night.

Curry danced with his dribble while Dereck Lively II covered him all over before launching a 3-pointer to give the Warriors a four-point lead with 27 seconds left. The Warriors star placed his hands under his head to symbolize his popular “night, night” celebration. Dallas quickly countered with a three-pointer from Quentin Grimes as he fell to the court with 21 seconds left. The Mavericks thought Grimes had been fouled, but the game continued. A few Curry free throws later, the Mavericks were officially sent to bed.

Thompson and Curry hugged at center court after the final buzzer, the enduring image of a night filled with praise for Thompson. Five minutes earlier, it appeared as if Thompson would lead the Mavericks to a much-needed win. He drilled his sixth 3-pointer of the night against Curry, giving the Mavericks a five-point lead with just over five minutes left. Thompson covered his eyes with his hands to mimic a 3-pointer to celebrate the swinging score.

Thompson scored a season-high 22 points in his return to San Francisco, second only to Luka Doncic's team-high 31. After a quiet night of scoring in the first three quarters, Kyrie Irving increased his offensive prowess, scoring nine of his 21 points in the fourth quarter game to help the Mavericks erase a 13-point Warriors deficit.

It was the first time this season that Doncic, Irving and Thompson scored at least 20 points.

Thompson had several moments that made his former fan base cheer. He acknowledged Curry's signature shimmy celebration after his second triple of the night.

Thompson's former Golden State Warriors teammates relished the opportunity to play against him for the first time since his decision to join the Mavericks. Draymond Green forced Thompson into a 3-pointer that missed the entire rim and erupted in a scream midway through the third quarter.

The Mavericks were involved in another competitive game on Tuesday night, but this time it had a bigger impact on the final result. Dallas falls to 5-6 overall and 0-1 in group play of the second NBA Cup.

The Mavericks will travel to Salt Lake City after three games to complete their three-game road trip against the Utah Jazz, who currently have the second-worst record in the NBA.

For Dallas' sake, it couldn't have come at a better time.

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