Steph Curry spoils Klay Thompson's homecoming with vintage clutch performance

The Golden State Warriors, who’ve surprisingly gotten off to a hot, 9-2 start, defeated the Dallas Mavericks 120-117–spoiling the return of former Warrior Klay Thompson. 

In a much-anticipated matchup between the greatest shooting tandem in NBA history, Curry proved that ‘Warrior nation’ now belongs to him. Curry racked up 37 points (14-of-27 from the field, 5-of-12 from the 3-point line, 4-of-5 from the line), 6 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal in 35 minutes.

Curry’s performance was crucial in the closing minutes where he scored 12 points, including a personal 10-0 run to lead Golden State past Dallas. He also landed a new season-high following his 36-point performance against the OKC Thunder on Sunday.

For a game that was heavily promoted two weeks in advance, it surely did not disappoint. No amount of nerves could have prevented Thompson from making a triumphant return to the arena where he had previously won titles. 

Thompson finished second in scoring with 22 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the field and 6-of-12 from 3. Despite his current status as a backup scorer behind Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, Thompson's performance was noteworthy, particularly for his effectiveness beyond the arc.

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The Golden State Warriors welcome back Klay Thompson

Thompson stated that he preferred a quieter homecoming, but the Warriors honored their former champion with a rightful celebration. 

For the first time since leaving the Golden State to join Dallas in July, Thompson was playing against his old team where he spent the 13 years of his career, so it was only fitting that the organization and fans greeted him with a welcoming ovation. When Thompson got to Chase Center, about 400 Warriors employees waited for him wearing captain hats and cheering as he walked to the locker room.

In honor of Thompson's hat choice during the 2022 championship celebrations, fans in attendance were handed "Captain Klay" hats for the evening. During the pregame warm-ups, Curry and Thompson embraced, and the Warriors honored Thompson with a tribute video. 

During a post-game interview, Thompson got emotional talking about his return to the Bay Area.

"It was a really cool experience," Thompson said. "I appreciate the fans very much. The captain's hat ended up being a great touch because I'm such a passionate boater. Saw a lot of familiar faces in the crowd, and that was a warm-hearted feeling. It was really cool to see the fans and their gratitude towards me- something I'll never take for granted. So it was very, very awesome."