After a nightmare performance in the same 9 vs. 10 Play-In Tournament game 12 months ago, former Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson has exorcized his demons to help keep a playoff berth alive for the Dallas Mavericks.
In what resulted as his final game for the Warriors, Thompson went scoreless and missed all 10 of his field-goal attempts in a disastrous outing against the Sacramento Kings. The 5x All-Star returned to the same arena against the same team on Wednesday, and this time came away with a favorable result as the Mavericks claimed a 120-106 victory.
Klay Thompson made a statement in the second-quarter against the Kings
Thompson made a concerning start in missing his first two shots and going scoreless in the opening period, but quickly changed the narrative in an explosive second-quarter that proved huge in the final result.
The Golden State legend had 16 points in a six-minute period during the second-quarter, including four 3-pointers in a classic Thompson burst that had become such a staple in the Bay for so long.
Prior to Thompson's first three that broke a streak of 12-straight Play-In Tournament misses, Dallas only led by three and found themselves in an early tussle on the road. By the end of the first-half the visitors had extended their lead to 23, breaking the game open in a manner the Kings could never respond from.
31 = HIM 🏹 pic.twitter.com/bLtcn3KXG1
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) April 17, 2025
Thompson also added a couple of buckets late to finish with 23 points on an extremely efficient 8-of-11 shooting and 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, while also adding five rebounds, two assists and finishing as a game-high +31 in his 33 minutes.
Thompson and the Mavericks have now advanced to a winner takes all final Play-In game, though it won't come against his former team after the Warriors held off the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night. Dallas may fancy themselves to take down Memphis based on how well they played on Wednesday, and given Ja Morant is facing an injury concern after rolling his ankle against Golden State.
It was a good day for former Warrior players in general, with Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson playing significant roles as the Miami Heat avoided elimination with a 109-90 road victory over the Chicago Bulls.
Wiggins had 20 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in 35 minutes, while Anderson saw 23 minutes off the bench and was a +15 despite going scoreless and not taking a single field-goal attempt.
The final Play-In Tournament games will take place on Friday, before the Warriors begin their first-round series against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on Sunday.