Of course Klay Thompson remembered his 0-for-10 shooting performance in the Golden State Warriors' play-in loss to the Sacramento Kings last season. The internet would not let him forget.
Thompson stepped into Golden 1 Center on Wednesday night still haunted by the frightful memories of his disappointing dud in his last game as a Warrior, but he managed to put that all behind him in the Dallas Mavericks' 120-106 win over Sacramento in the play-in tournament.
"It did feel good to exorcise those demons in here, man." Thompson told Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter after the game.
Thompson looked like his vintage self, scoring 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting—including 5-of-7 from three—in the big win to help keep the Mavs' season alive. Dallas will face the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.
"Man, the last time I was here was not very fun," Thompson told reporters. "It's a lot of emotion. I thought I did a good job of not forcing it. Human nature, when you have a season end on a sour note like that, you want to come out here and prove people wrong."
Klay Thompson on overcoming the emotions left over from last year’s blunder in Sacramento:
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) April 17, 2025
“It’s a lot of emotion. I thought I did a good job of not forcing it. Human nature, when you have a season end on a sour note like that, you want to come out here & prove people wrong.” pic.twitter.com/WAZTZsdke0
The chances of Thompson running into his old team this postseason are pretty slim, with Golden State set to face the Houston Rockets in their first-round playoff series.
His drama-filled exit from the Warriors aside, it's nice to see Thompson playing meaningful basketball again with a smile on his face.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Klay Thompson Haunted by Warriors’ Dud After Mavs’ Play-In Win vs. Kings.
