Mavericks make controversial decision on Klay Thompson following Warriors homecoming

Two days after his emotional and much celebrated return to Chase Center to face the Golden State Warriors, Klay Thompson was back in action for the Dallas Mavericks in Utah on Thursday night.

Except he wasn't...not for much of the closing moments anyway. Thompson had 14 points when he was subbed out with just over seven minutes remaining in the fourth and his team down 104-94.

The veteran sharpshooter didn't return until 36.1 seconds remaining and the Mavericks down three, having watched from the bench as his team made a desperate run to try and snap their three-game losing-streak.

Former Warriors guard Klay Thompson watched from the bench until the final three possessions

Thompson was still ready to go though, immediately nailing a wing three after his defender had been sucked in to double team on Luka Doncic. However, Doncic made his own error with the game tied, leaving John Collins wide open under the basket as his dunk restored a two-point Utah lead.

Following the timeout Dallas could only muster a Naji Marshall corner three that was not close, giving the Jazz victory despite Lauri Markkanen having left the game through injury with nearly eight minutes left.

The Mavericks have now lost four games in a row by a combined eight points, including Tuesday's thrilling 120-117 loss to the Warriors in Thompson's return. There was plenty of debate and controversy surrounding Jason Kidd's decision to leave the 5x All-Star on the bench in the fourth-quarter for so long, particularly given the visitors were already without star guard Kyrie Irving who was out with a shoulder injury, as well as usual starter PJ Washington who continues to deal with a knee sprain.

Thompson was left out of closing lineups on a couple of occasions for Golden State last season, and was even pulled briefly out of the starting lineup in February for rookie guard Brandin Podziemski. The new-found uncertainty surrounding his role undoubtedly played a part in his decision to leave the Warriors, having signed a three-year, $50 million contract with the Mavericks in the offseason.

It will be interesting to see how he responds to Kidd's decision on Thursday, or whenever it inevitably happens again at some point over the remainder of the season. In fairness, Dallas did mount their comeback with Thompson on the bench, but they ultimately lost the game which always plays a big factor in any potential frustration.

In contrast, the Warriors are 9-2 and appear to be brimming with chemistry despite some individuals not necessarily playing the role or minutes they may have previously envisaged. Winning can often cure a lot, leaving individuals with very little leverage to even think about complaining.

Thompson is now averaging 14.8 points this season on 41% shooting from the floor and 37.4% from three-point range, with the Mavericks now 5-7 and 12th in the Western Conference.