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DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks defeated the San Antonio Spurs by a final score of 120-109 on Thursday night in their season opener. It was a quality effort by Dallas. The Mavs' defense played well while the offense took care of the rest. Klay Thompson wasted no time before finding his groove in his Mavericks debut.
Thompson finished the game with 22 points, seven rebounds, one assist and three steals. He went 7-13 from the field and 6-10 from beyond the arc. Thompson even set a new franchise record for most three-pointers in a Mavericks debut after connecting on his sixth of the game in the fourth quarter.
Luka Doncic appreciates having a star shooter like Thompson who can space the floor at an elite level on the roster. After the game, Doncic explained how Thompson “makes life easier” for the Mavericks.
“It was great, man. Just knocking down a lot of shots,” Doncic said of Thompson. “He was moving out there, he was playing great defense, too. I'm just glad we got him… I mean, it's easy to play with a guy like that. It makes your life easier. You got to find him. That's what I'm saying, it makes my life and Kai's (Kyrie Irving) easier. It makes the whole team's life easier. It's a lot of space so it's great.”
Doncic did not play up to his standards but he still led the Mavs with 28 points. He added 10 rebounds, eight assists and one steal. It is clear that Doncic enjoys playing with his new teammate.
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Klay Thompson drops Luka Doncic admission after Mavericks debut
Thompson made his Mavericks regular season debut on Thursday. He turned in a strong effort. Thompson also made it clear he likes playing with Doncic, but admitted that Doncic finds success in a different manner than many other stars.
“I mean, it was great to be out there with Luka,” Thompson said after the game. “What an incredible talent. It doesn’t make any sense… What we’re taught growing up, as far as being the best basketball player, is you got to jump the highest, you got to run the fastest, but somehow Luka defies that and plays at his own speed.
“(Doncic) Manipulates the game as good as I've ever seen anyone do it. It's great to be a recipient of that and get great looks. Hopefully we can elevate each other's games and our squad. It's a great start to a long year but it's something that we can build off.”
The Mavericks received pivotal contributions from a number of players on the roster. Kyrie Irving scored 15 points, while Dereck Lively II added 15 of his own to go along with 11 rebounds and six assists. Jaden Hardy and PJ Washington both scored 11 points as well.
The Mavericks played well last year. That goes without saying, as they reached the NBA Finals. However, this team already looks like a championship contender and we are still in October. It is a long NBA season and anything can happen, but it is an exciting time in Dallas.
