Klay Thompson returned to the bay, but Stephen Curry had the final splash

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Klay Thompson returned to the bay, but Stephen Curry had the final splash

SAN FRANCISCO – It was quite early for his “Night, Night” celebration, the move Steph Curry makes to secure a win.

“I almost pulled a Si Woo Kim,” Curry said of the golfer who signed the Golden State Warriors star’s autograph in September after a clutch chip-in on hole #16 before ultimately losing the Presidents Cup on hole No. 18.

“But luckily we were able to finish it. … Yeah, a bit premature.”

With 26.4 seconds left, after hitting Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II with a pair of crossovers before scoring a three-pointer from the top, Curry’s international trademark appeared organically. Emotion made it difficult to prioritize score and clock. The adrenaline and testosterone, the euphoria of supremacy, made the chance of winning secondary.

A moment was orchestrated. A message had been spoken. It had to be interrupted.

So Curry roared into the raucous Chase Center crowd, thunderous enough this evening to bring back memories of Oracle Arena. He pulled Golden State over his jersey and pounded his fist on his chest. He then turned to the cameras and in front of millions of people, letting his competitive arrogance speak to anyone who dared to leave his side for greener pastures.

“You better stay here!” Curry shouted, emphasizing the location with a colon to the hardwood he was standing on. “You better stay here!”

💥STEPHEN CURRY💥

NIGHT NIGHT 😴 pic.twitter.com/SZtkcgORWi

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 13, 2024

Tuesday night’s NBA Cup opener was all about Klay Thompson and the affinity he has gained in the Warriors world.

Hundreds of Golden State employees lined his walkway into the arena. Thousands of fans wore white sailor caps in his honor. After a one-minute tribute video, Thompson basked in a one-minute ovation, with enough sentiment to crumble his facade of indifference.

As he had done many times before, Thompson sent a wave of shivers through the arena. A Bay Area legend was back. A beloved cohort of a dynasty was home.

This evening started as a ballad for Captain Klay. It ended with a reminder that it was Curry’s ship.

“Yeah,” Thompson said after the game, “it hurts to be on the other end of one of his fits. The guy got hot at the end and made some ridiculous shots. If you’re on the other side, it sucks.”

On a floor with at least five future Hall of Famers, Curry was the best player when it mattered most. Four months before he turns 37.

Trailing 114-108 with just over three minutes remaining, Curry ran off ten straight points. Neither Luka Dončić, nor Kyrie Irving, nor Klay Thompson could answer Curry. He scored 12 points in the final 3:10.

He finished with a game-high 37 points – along with his 9 assists and 6 rebounds – as the Warriors improved to 9-2 with a 120-117 victory. Two nights after shutting down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Oklahoma City, and Jayson Tatum in Boston before that, Curry once again declared his elitism.

No doubt he wanted his Splash Brother to hear him the loudest. A mentality that honors their relationship, as they are bonded as much by their competitive spirit as they are by their shooting skills.

Curry was determined not to give Thompson the satisfaction of victory. The outpouring of admiration was enough. Curry remained in the tunnel as the tribute video played, avoiding the emotion he was sure to feel. Likewise, Draymond Green got the video delivered to him early so he could watch it and get the feeling out of the way. Curry didn’t even talk to Thompson until a hug just before tipoff.

On the first play of the game, Thompson took Curry to the post, trying to capitalize on his height advantage over the point guard. He fouled Curry, who was aggressive and physical because, as Green said, he wanted to take the ball from Klay.

“That made me black out,” Curry said. “I didn’t want to let him score and I fouled him.”

He got the steal the next time Thompson posted him and stripped him under the basket. A third time, Curry forced Thompson into a bad shot.

This takes some getting used to 😳 pic.twitter.com/95RPyz4HAJ

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 13, 2024

When Curry banked in a floater in the second quarter, drawing the foul on Thompson, he shot a taunting look at his former defensive buddy.

“I knew he was going to come ready to go,” Green said. “But when you see him express those kinds of emotions, everyone else just falls in line. I try to lead in that category. When he’s upstairs, I step aside and let him do his thing and be his support. He was absolutely incredible tonight, and I knew he was going to be locked in from the start.

Coincidentally, by denying Klay, Curry underlined that he doesn’t have (a) Klay.

Golden State outscored Dallas by 24 points in Curry’s 35 minutes. In his 13 minutes, the Mavericks defeated the hosts by 21 points.

The Warriors are at this promising start because of their depth. But the league’s highest-scoring bench — which still outscored Dallas’ bench, 42-22 — struggled to score when Curry sat down. And with Green and Andrew Wiggins mainly resting with him, the Warriors’ bench was overwhelmed by Dončić and Irving’s momentum. And Klay.

Jonathan Kuminga, who finished with 16 points, is the best bench option as an offensive anchor, but his opportunities are limited by minutes and sometimes lineups. Buddy Hield, on offense, was effective inside the arc, but isn’t as powerful when he’s not raining 3s. The replacement Splash Brother was revelatory this season, but went 2-for-8 against his predecessor, and the Warriors’ offense suffered as a result.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks were able to spread their stars and keep a threat on the field. And Thompson gives them a powerful third option when he gets going. And on Tuesday he was up, to the tune of 6-of-12 from 3 and 22 points. He came into the match having made two of thirteen in the previous two matches.

He scored eight points in the fourth quarter, including two open 3s in front of the Warriors bench. The first was on a closeout by Curry, who dropped too far from Thompson. The second put the Mavericks ahead 110-105 with 5:17 remaining. And it unleashed the verbal and physical banter on his former shipmates.

𝑺𝑷𝑳𝑨𝑺𝑯 💦 pic.twitter.com/JG6NB3p1IJ

– Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) November 13, 2024

“He did a little terrible shimmy,” Green said. “It was terrible.”

“He knows better than that,” Curry said.

Sure, Curry knew he’d hear from his fellow Dynasty engineer if Thompson came home and got the dub against the Dubs. Seeing Thompson perform stunts was even more motivation. The reigning Western Conference champions would now have to deal with Commodore Curry.

A point ahead with just over 30 seconds left, Curry ran onto the court as the tension rose. He burned precious seconds with a series of dribbles between the legs, waiting for the perfect moment to attack. On one screen, Dončić switched to Curry. Then a second screen brought Lively into his sights. Curry found his prey.

He hit two dribbles while jumping to the right and setting up a sudden crossover to the left, sending Lively’s momentum that way. Then Curry pulled a crossover back to his right, setting himself up for a dead-on 3-pointer from the top.

This splash was for Klay.

“That’s my husband, my friend, my mutt for 13 years,” Curry said. “There’s a lot of history, so you’ll have a lot of back and forth. Some of it was competitive, some of it was fun. … It was definitely a surreal night.”

Almost immediately after his postgame interview, Thompson was back in his old confines. Fully dressed, wearing his captain’s hat, he hung out in the weight room and practice field where he once roamed. Spending time with players and coaches and trainers from his former team. The rivalry had turned back into brotherhood.