Two teams that are disappointed to be in San Francisco instead of Las Vegas this weekend will play each other on Sunday night when the Dallas Mavericks visit the Golden State Warriors.
Both teams made it to the Western Conference final four of the NBA Cup but lost in the first round of the tournament. Dallas lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-104 on Tuesday, and the Warriors were eliminated by the Houston Rockets 91-90 on Wednesday.
The Cup format required the two teams that lost in the Western Conference to play each other in an additional game, giving them an extra match to balance out the schedule.
This game will be a rematch from the Cup opener, which was important not because of the tournament but because Klay Thompson was returning to San Francisco after joining Dallas in a sign-and-trade during the offseason. Thompson had a memorable game, scoring 22 points and helping the Warriors win 120-117.
Thompson, a five-time All-Star, has averaged 13.3 points this season, his lowest since his rookie year in 2012. Dallas coach Jason Kidd emphasized there’s more to Thompson than just his numbers.
“His fit is perfect for what we need. He’s been great,” Kidd said. “Klay is a true pro; he comes to work ready to play. We’ve been lucky to have him.”
Thompson’s replacement in the Warriors’ lineup, Buddy Hield, has had similar numbers this season, averaging 14.5 points per game. He scored 14 points in the earlier win over the Mavericks.
The Warriors found a strong long-distance shooting option in Hield, who averages 3.3 three-pointers per game with a shooting percentage of 42.6%. Thompson averaged 2.9 three-pointers per game last season with a shooting percentage of 37.4%.
Lindy Waters III, another new player for the Warriors, was impressed by Thompson’s homecoming reception last month and believes this rematch will feel different.
“I think maybe the homecoming has already subsided,” Waters said. “I think we’re just looking at it as the Dallas Mavericks coming into our home court, and we’ve got to protect it.”
Both teams are hoping that the time off after being eliminated from the NBA Cup will help them address their recent struggles. The Mavericks had some players feeling unwell for their game against the Thunder, while the Warriors were missing Andrew Wiggins and Moses Moody due to injuries.
“We feel like we’ve given away three games,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “The additional practice time this week really allows us to address some of the situational things — our late-game offense, late-quarter stuff. It’s on us as a group — coaches, players — to make these improvements and start closing these games out.”
