Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Klay Thompson
Crisp, sharp, and blistering are all words that can be used to describe the Golden State Warriors ball movement Tuesday night in their win against the Dallas Mavericks. Golden State’s play had been uneven recently, going just 5-5 in their last ten games. The Mavs had been on fire coming in, winning eight of their last ten.
The Warriors demolished the Mavs on Tuesday night in a 130-92 win. Golden State has now won four of their last five, despite their recent struggles. The offensive explosion from the Warriors was a complete team effort, but the most encouraging play came from Klay Thompson.
We also learned Klay’s nickname after the win.
Klay’s nickname on the Warriors?
“Sea Captain” 😂
The “Sea Captain” is fully embracing the nickname as well. Thompson showed up to his postgame press conference wearing a sea captain’s hat. Klay said the conditions weren’t good enough to bring his boat last night, but plans to sometime this week.
Klay’s Best Performance Since His Return
Klay Thompson had one of his best games since his return, scoring 15 points on 6-12 shooting from the field and 3-5 of three-point range. Thompson also dished out six assists and after the game, he spoke about his play.
“I just thought tonight I did a good job of making the right play and not forcing anything,” said Thompson, “each shot I took was a good shot. I’m going to build off of this and hopefully do the same thing on Thursday.”
“I am just happy that I was able to uptick my minutes tonight, I mean that was probably a season-high for me, 25 minutes, and I’m going to get my good rest tomorrow and I’m excited to play against the T-Wolves on Thursday. Felt good to make some three balls too and have an efficient night from the floor. You know I really pride myself on my efficiency, so felt good to be myself again.”
Thompson had missed the past two games with soreness in his surgically repaired left knee. Leading up to Tuesday’s game he was listed as questionable and in the postgame, he gave an update on his knee.
“Just a little soreness,” said Thompson, “I kind of had a little hyperextension in the previous game and it was sore and a little swollen, luckily for me the swelling went down and I was able to play tonight and have fun while doing it.”
That update from Thompson is certainly encouraging. He also noted he’s excited to play against the Timberwolves on Thursday, so it seems like his knee felt fine after the game as well.
Complete Team Performance
Besides Thompson, Tuesday night’s win was a balanced performance from the Warriors, with seven players scoring in double figures. The bench also shined, scoring 71 points.
Rookie Jonathan Kuminga was the team’s leading scorer with 22 points off the bench, on 8-9 shooting and 4-4 from three-point range. Stephen Curry was second on the team in scoring with 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists. While Curry was still just 2-10 from three-point range, he was 7-16 from the field overall. Making him 5-6 on two-point field goals.
Coming off the bench Jonathan Poole also played well, scoring 17 points on 6-10 shooting. Beyond that, it was Andrew Wiggins with 14 points, Otto Porter Jr. with 12, and Nemanja Bjelica with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Wiggins also shined on the defensive end, hounding both Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson at times.
While Curry still didn’t shoot the ball well from three, there was still plenty to like about this win. The ball movement was some of the best we’ve seen in Draymond Green’s absence. The Warriors also continue to play well on the defensive end, holding the Mavs to 92 points on just 35.2% shooting. The Warriors certainly still miss Green, but maybe they are figuring out how to play without him.