Klay Thompson was a teammate of one-of-a-kind Stephen Curry for 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors.
He’s now quickly getting used to another legend on his new team.
Thompson and Luka Doncic will team up for the second time in the regular season when the Dallas Mavericks visit the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night.
Thompson scored 22 points and made six 3-pointers in his Dallas debut, helping the Mavericks record a 120-109 home victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night.
Thompson’s arrival as a free agent gives Dallas a three-star attack. Doncic had 28 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Kyrie Irving scored 15 points.
“He was great, knocking in a lot of shots, and he was moving out there, playing great defense, too,” Doncic said of Thompson. “I’m just glad we got him. It’s easy to play with a guy like that. It makes my life and Ky’s easier.”
Of course, Thompson was blown away to see Doncic’s all-around game from the viewpoint of a teammate.
“It was great to be out there with Luka,” Thompson said. “What an incredible talent. And it doesn’t make any sense because 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.
“Somehow, Luka defies that. He plays at his own speed and manipulates a game as good as I’ve ever seen anyone do it. It’s great to be a recipient of that and get great looks.”
Thompson also didn’t want to get carried away by the successful opener.
“It’s one game,” he said. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself. It was a great start. But I’m not satisfied. We have so much basketball ahead. You can never be too high through the regular season.”
The Suns have split two games in Los Angeles to open the season. Phoenix recorded a 116-113 overtime win over the Clippers on Wednesday before falling 123-116 to the Lakers on Friday.
Phoenix led by as many as 22 points before the Lakers rallied. Los Angeles outscored the Suns 71-55 in the second half.
Kevin Durant scored 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field, and Devin Booker had 23 on a 9-for-21 effort for the Suns.
Overall, Phoenix shot 51.2 percent, but new coach Mike Budenholzer wondered if the shot selection could have been better. He wants to see more inside touches.
“I think we want to find good shots and good opportunities,” Budenholzer said. “We have to continue to fight the paint and get there. That’s usually how you generate 3s.”
Big man Jusuf Nurkic played just 18 minutes due to foul trouble. He had just four points on 1-of-5 shooting from the field and struggled defensively on a night in which Lakers star Anthony Davis scored 35 points.
“I think ‘Nurk’ is somebody that is capable of defending, not just Davis but all the good bigs,” Budenholzer said. “He gives us a presence in the paint and on the boards, so he’ll have his nights.”
Suns sharpshooter Grayson Allen missed Friday’s game due to the upcoming birth of a child. He also is dealing with Achilles soreness.
The Mavericks went 2-1 against the Suns last season, including a memorable 128-114 road victory on Christmas Night in which Doncic had 50 points and 15 assists and went over 10,000 career points.
–Field Level Media
