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How Klay made Mavericks history in his triumphant debut against the Spurs

How Klay made Mavericks history in his triumphant debut against the Spurs

How Klay made history for the Mavericks in his triumphant debut against the Spurs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Klay Thompson's first game after the Warriors was a complete success.

The four-time NBA champion scored 22 points on 7 of 13 shooting from the field and 6 of 10 from 3-point range in his Mavericks debut, helping Dallas beat the San Antonio Spurs 120-109 on Thursday night at American Airlines Center hit .

Those six 3-pointers are the most by a player making his Mavericks debut.

Thompson's desire to join the Mavericks was fueled in large part by the presence of superstar forward Luka Dončić. And during Dallas' win, the two future Hall of Famers created several viral moments.

While Steph Curry has his patented look-away 3-pointers, Thompson and Doncic chose their own variation: The 25-year-old Slovenian turned and ran back down the court as the five-time All-Star lined up and made a save 3-pointer to extend the Mavericks' lead in the fourth quarter.

“Luka makes the game easier, not just for me but for everyone in this arena,” Thompson told TNT’s Allie LaForce after the game. “The seriousness that he demands. His passing skills are unmatched. And I'm here to help him be one of the greatest. We know it's his team. The show runs through him, but it takes the whole team to get there.” Destination where you want to go.

Thompson, who finished with seven rebounds, three steals, one assist and a plus-16, was pleased with his triumphant Mavericks debut.

“You couldn’t ask for a better start, just sharing the floor with (Kyrie Irving), Luka and the rest of the guys,” Thompson told LaForce. “After a hard month of really good work it’s really special and it’s great to see it come to fruition. It’s just a small step towards our goal, but something we can build on.”

After 11 years and nine seasons with the Warriors, seeing Thompson in a different uniform was an adjustment for everyone involved. But the 34-year-old is enjoying his new surroundings.

“I feel great,” Thompson told LaForce. “Blue is my favorite color and Mavs blue looks good on me. So I'm having a great time. Let's go to Phoenix. But wow, just incredible. “It felt good to get that first color behind us and play well.” . Not happy, but I’m happy with what we did tonight.”

Even though Thompson tries to distance himself from the Warriors, he never gets far. A fan had him sign his old Golden State jersey after Dallas' season-opening win.

Thompson still has a few weeks to settle in Dallas before the Mavericks travel to the Bay Area on November 12th for his highly anticipated first game against his old team.

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