Tuesday night was supposed to be all about Klay Thompson , who was returning to face the Warriors for the first time since signing with the Mavericks this past summer. Thompson got his tribute — a rousing one at that — and his standing ovation and he even went out and drained six 3-pointers on his way to 22 points. But when it was all said and done, it was Stephen Curry who wound up stealing the show.
Curry finished with 37 points, nine assists and five 3-pointers in leading the now 9-2 Warriors to a thrilling 120-117 win over the Mavericks, who fell to 5-6 on the season. With the Warriors down by six with 3:29 to play, Curry personally outscored the Mavericks 12-3 the rest of the way, taking matters into his own hands with the type of on-ball creation for which Steve Kerr naysayers have long been clamoring.
“This is what the NBA’s about,” Curry told TNT’s Allie LaForce. “Competition. No matter what the sound bites were leading up to the game, we knew there would be a lot of emotions, but both teams wanted to win. It felt like a playoff-type atmosphere, back and forth, great players making great plays, both sides, that’s why we love the competition. We love being out here.”