Klay Thompson felt good to "exorcise his demons" after impeccable shooting quarter in play-in win vs Kings
Klay Thompson felt relieved after his second-quarter performance helped the Dallas Mavericks eliminate the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Play-In Tournament. Thompson scored 16 of his 23 points in the second period as the Mavs outscored the Kings 44-19 in the quarter, leading to a 120-106 victory.
Speaking to ESPN's Scott Van Pelt on "SportsCenter" after the game, Thompson was all smiles and proud of his teammates after extending their season. He ended the interview by expressing how good it was to finally "exorcise his demons" at the Golden 1 Center.
"We're desperate to keep the postseason alive," Thompson said. "It's a privilege to play basketball this time of the year. I told the guys before the game that we have nothing to lose, go out here, it's a free swing and play for each other. ... It did feel good to exorcise those demons in here, man."
For those unaware, Klay Thompson was talking about the demons of last year's NBA Play-In Tournament. Thompson was still part of the Golden State Warriors, and they entered as the No. 10 seed at the Golden 1 Center. He was scoreless and went 0-for-10 from the field in what would be his final game for the Warriors.
Thompson was phenomenal for the Dallas Mavericks in a similar scenario on Wednesday night. He had 23 points, five rebounds and two assists. He shot 8-for-11 from the field and made five 3-point shots. He scored 16 points in the second quarter, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and hitting four shots from beyond the arc.
Anthony Davis led the way with a team-high 27 points plus nine rebounds and three blocks. The Mavericks looked fantastic, especially in the second quarter, as they made it to the final round of the NBA Play-In Tournament. They travel to the FedEx Forum on Friday to take on the Memphis Grizzlies.
Klay Thompson, Mavericks could take advantage of Ja Morant's injury vs. Grizzlies
The Dallas Mavericks can punch their ticket to the NBA playoffs if they beat the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. The Mavericks are not at full strength, with Kyrie Irving out with a knee injury. They did look fantastic in Wednesday's win over the Sacramento Kings, especially Klay Thompson.
Thompson and the Mavs could also come into the game and look at the Grizzlies as their equal, possibly superior. Ja Morant suffered a sprained ankle in his team's loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. Morant will likely be a game-time decision heading into the high-stakes game.
The Grizzlies won the season series over the Mavericks, 3-1. However, Morant's potential absence could create problems for Memphis. It will be interesting to see who gets the win and moves on to the playoffs against the No. 1 seed OKC Thunder.