Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors to a 120-117 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night, ruining Klay Thompson’s return to San Francisco. Curry scored a game-high 37 points, including 12 consecutive points in the final minutes, to secure the victory in the NBA Cup opener.
Klay Thompson, who returned to play in front of his old fans, scored 22 points. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 52 points, but the Mavericks scored just three points in the last 3:29 after leading 114-108.
Curry was the only one to score for Golden State in the closing moments. His inside basket gave the Warriors a 115-114 lead with 1:50 left, and then he hit a 3-pointer — followed by his signature “night-night” gesture — to push the lead to four points with 27.5 seconds remaining.
Quentin Grimes kept Dallas’ hopes alive with a 3-pointer six seconds later, but Curry made two free throws, and Doncic missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with five seconds left.
Thompson, a four-time NBA champion with the Warriors, received a warm pregame video tribute and a big ovation from the crowd. He made six 3-pointers in 12 attempts. He had eight points during a stretch where the Mavericks turned a two-point deficit into a 110-105 lead with 5:17 left.
Daniel Gafford scored twice, and De’Anthony Melton added a 3-pointer to give Dallas a six-point lead late, setting the stage for Curry’s clutch performance.
Curry shot 14-for-27 overall and 5-for-12 on 3-pointers. He also had six rebounds and a game-high nine assists. Jonathan Kuminga added 16 points for the Warriors, who won seven of their last eight games. Buddy Hield and Melton each scored 14, while Draymond Green contributed 11 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks. Kevon Looney grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
For the Mavericks, Doncic led the way with 31 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Irving added 21 points and six assists. Gafford finished with 15 points, and Dereck Lively II scored 12 points with eight rebounds as Dallas lost their third straight game.
