On Tuesday night, the Dallas Mavericks' NBA Cup run ended at the Paycom Center as they were defeated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first Knockout Round by a score of 118-104.
Oklahoma City's swarming defense led to sloppy play by Dallas, and Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving couldn't get enough going to get a road win in one of the rowdiest environments in the NBA. The Mavericks turned the ball over 19 times in this one, and the same interior dominance that helped beat the Thunder last month was nonexistent.
Dallas couldn't keep Oklahoma City off the offensive glass to save their life, and they missed P.J. Washington tremendously as he missed the game with an illness that won't leave the Mavs alone.
While there were plenty of negatives to take away from this game including Dallas' lack of energy, there were some positives as well. Naji Marshall returned to the lineup after missing the previous four games with an illness, and Klay Thompson's shooting was outstanding.
When the Mavs trust Thompson, his shooting delivers results
Thompson finished with 19 points on the night while shooting 7-14 from the field and 5-10 from downtown, and that was his second straight game of scoring 19 points or more. This was only the second time all season that this happened, and Thompson has shown that he deserves more shots within the flow of the offense.
Thompson getting up 30 shots over a two-game span might not be typical, but his shooting is elite enough that he deserves to keep letting it fly and have the trust of his teammates and the coaching staff. Many of his looks in this game were wide-open looks off the catch, but he also drilled two threes coming off an off-ball action. Jason Kidd often used off-ball actions and emphasized that Thompson needs plenty of touches to get Thompson going early in games at the beginning of the season, and that may be the secret recipe for them moving forward considering how well he has shot the ball recently.
With the nature of his game, Thompson can't make his full impact without getting shots, and him getting more involved in the offense lately has reaped benefits for the Mavericks. This isn't to say that Thompson needs 20 shots per night, but it is clear that he is finding his footing within the Mavs offense and can be a reliable third scorer off the bench when given the chance.
The Mavs must continue feeding Thompson the rock early and often, as we saw how getting some early shots can get him into a good rhythm. Thompson scored eight points in the first quarter while shooting 3-6 from the field and helped an otherwise slow Mavs offense stay within striking distance of the Thunder. His off-ball gravity is always going to be there due to his potential to go off at any time, but utilizing his shooting rather than using it as a backup option is key.
While Dallas' quest for their first NBA Cup title ended on Tuesday night, Thompson's continued shooting success was evident, and he is putting a halt to the narratives claiming that he hasn't been good for the Mavs.
While Thompson isn't the same player he once was, he can still score in bunches and be automatic from downtown when given the touches. Dallas didn't walk out of Oklahoma City with a win, but they did leave with the silver lining of Klay Thompson showcasing that he can still knock down threes at a consistent rate when given the volume and he is shooting with confidence.