Klay Thompson (#31) of the Dallas Mavericks shoots in the game against the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, October 24, 2024. /CFP
The Dallas Mavericks beat the San Antonio Spurs 120-109 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday to begin their 2024-25 NBA regular season with a victory.
Klay Thompson, who joined the Mavs on a three-year, $50 million contract during the offseason, shot 6-for-10 behind the arc to score 22 points for his new employer. Four of his triples were made in the second half during which his side outscored the opponents 73-60.
Both sides, especially their franchise players, took some time to shake off the rust. Luka Doncic missed eight of his 12 field goal (FG) attempts in the first two quarters to get only nine points, but he bounced back in the second half with 19 points. When he was able to change Spurs' defense with an adequate offensive threat, his teammates benefited more from his feeding.
Dereck Lively II made six of his eight shots thanks to Doncic's orchestrating work to contribute a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds. He even delivered six assists for Dallas. He, Daniel Gafford and Thompson dominated the offensive glass as well, enabling their team to lead 17-12 on this front.
Luka Doncic (#77) of the Dallas Mavericks shoots in the game against the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, October 24, 2024. /CFP
Kyrie Irving struggled to make shots for the home team, missing 11 of his 17 FG attempts. Having received 15 points, he spent the fourth quarter on the bench, but the Mavericks finished with a victory.
The Spurs had no one reach 20 points. Victory Wembanyama's cold touch held him from making jumpers, especially outside the 3-point line where only one of his eight shots fell into the net. His defensive performance gave his side mixed feelings. On one hand, the Mavericks shot no more than 43.2 percent in the paint due to the French unicorn's defensive presence; on the other hand, he did a poor job of protecting rebounds.
Thirty-nine-year-old Chris Paul didn't shoot well in his first game for the Spurs, going 1-for-6 from the field. He delivered eight assists with only two turnovers.
The best-performing visiting performers were Julian Champagnie and Harrison Barnes, who combined to shoot 14-for-22 in FGs to get 35 points.