Klay Thompson didn’t need to say anything to his Dallas Mavericks teammates about what happened the last time he stepped onto the floor at Golden 1 Center. Everyone already knew.
Exactly one year after going 0-for-10 in what turned out to be his final game with the Warriors, Thompson returned to Sacramento in a Mavericks uniform and turned in a vintage performance, scoring 23 points to help Dallas defeat the Kings, 120–106, in Wednesday night’s win-or-go-home play-in game.
“It did feel good to exorcise those demons in here,” Thompson said. “Man!”
With the win, Dallas moves on to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night with the final playoff spot in the Western Conference on the line. The winner will face top-seeded Oklahoma City on Sunday.
Second-Quarter Surge Sparks Mavericks
The game was close early, but the second quarter belonged entirely to the Mavericks — and to Thompson.
After missing his first two shots, he got a friendly bounce on a jumper to open the second quarter. From there, the floodgates opened. Thompson buried four threes in the period and scored 16 of his 23 points during a 44-point Dallas quarter — their highest-scoring frame of the season.
“I wasn’t going to define myself off one bad shooting night,” Thompson said. “I’ve had some of the greatest shooting nights in the history of the game. So even someone in my caliber can go 0-for.”
By halftime, Dallas led 71–48. The crowd that had buried Thompson in boos a year ago was stunned into silence.
“We shot it very well, got stops on defense, and played with a lot of pace,” said Anthony Davis, who led the Mavericks with 27 points. “Offense was clicking. We had, what, 44 in the quarter? We played with a lot of pace and opened up the game.”
Thompson Redeems, Davis Dominates, Williams Delivers
The game had no shortage of storylines, but none loomed larger than Thompson’s ability to flip the narrative from one year ago.
Last season, he went 0-for-10 in the same building, including 0-of-6 from three. This time, he went 8-of-11 from the field and hit 5-of-7 from deep — showing the kind of poise and rhythm Dallas hoped for when it signed him last summer.
“You can count that as a failure or mishap,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said of last year’s loss. “You learn from that and we expected his best game tonight.”
Davis was steady and dominant once again, finishing with 27 points and nine rebounds while anchoring the paint. Brandon Williams, who was listed as questionable with a left oblique strain, delivered a much-needed lift off the bench with 17 points and five assists on 5-of-8 shooting.
“Everyone in that locker room had each other’s back,” Kidd said. “It was a fun group to coach and we still have a long way to go, we believe.”
P.J. Washington added 17 points and nine rebounds. Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford controlled the glass and protected the rim, helping Dallas maintain control even as Sacramento tried to chip away late.
Kings Fizzle, Mavs March Forward
For the Kings, the night marked the end of a frustrating season. DeMar DeRozan scored 33 points and Zach LaVine added 20, but Sacramento never found consistent answers defensively. The Mavericks led by as many as 24, and the Kings’ attempts to mount a second-half push fell flat.
Boos rained down from the home crowd midway through the fourth quarter. Sacramento didn’t get the chance to “light the beam” — and now it won’t again until next season.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks — after months of injuries, criticism, and uncertainty — are one win away from a playoff berth.
“We’ve had a tumultuous season to say the least,” Thompson said. “But we’re still here playing postseason basketball. We can really give the city of Dallas some hope, especially if we go to Memphis and repeat this type of performance.”
Up Next
The Mavericks head to Memphis to face the Grizzlies on Friday at 8:30 p.m. CT. The winner will clinch the West’s No. 8 seed and take on the Thunder in the first round. The loser’s season ends.
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