Klay Thompson Stats Tonight: How did the Mavericks star fare against OKC Thunder? (Dec. 10)
Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks visited Oklahoma City on Tuesday for an Emirates NBA Cup game against the OKC Thunder. The Mavericks, who earned a wildcard berth to join the knockout round, hoped to book a ticket to the semifinals in Las Vegas with a win.
Killa Klay had an efficient start to the game. He had eight points in nine minutes in the first quarter. The former Golden State Warriors star went 3-for-6, including 2-for-5 from behind the arc. Dallas trailed 32-24 after the end of the first 12 minutes.
Thompson added a corner triple off a Luka Doncic cross-court pass in the second quarter. The Mavericks needed Thompson's scoring as Doncic struggled. Luka Magic finished the first half with two points. Dallas, though, closed the gap to 57-54 at the halfway point of the game.
The OKC Thunder put on a defensive clinic in the third quarter to stifle Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks. Thompson was held scoreless in the period and Oklahoma limited Dallas to 19 points. The Thunder took a 90-73 lead heading into the final frame.
Game 6 Klay showed up in the fourth quarter, dropping eight points as the Mavericks desperately tried to turn the game around. Dallas outscored OKC 31-28 but lost the Emirates NBA Cup game 118-104. Thompson’s 19 points surprisingly paced his team as Luka Doncic tallied 16, while Kyrie Irving finished with 17.
Klay Thompson is starting to play well since coming back from a foot injury
Klay Thompson suffered a left foot plantar fasciitis during the Dallas Mavericks' 123-118 overtime loss to the Miami Heat on Nov. 24. He sat out the next four games before returning on Dec. 3 against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The four-time NBA champ struggled in his first two games back from the injury layoff. He combined for 15 points, five assists and four rebounds during that stretch. Thompson shot 32.2%, including 30.0% from deep.
Thompson's performance has significantly improved in his last two games. Against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday, he had 20 points and five rebounds. He made 8-of-16 shots with 3-of-9 efficiency from behind the arc.
Three nights later, the five-time All-Star led the Mavericks in scoring versus the Thunder.