Klay Thompson hopped off the bench and splashed back-to-back 3-pointers less than one minute apart to set up his latest historic milestone.
With a turnaround midrange jumper at the 4:56 mark of the first quarter, Thompson became the 109th player in NBA history to reach 17,000 career points in Saturday’s lopsided 138-120 win over the Utah Jazz.
It was the second consecutive game that required a moment of celebration for the Mavericks sharpshooter. On Thursday, Thompson passed Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard for fourth on the NBA’s all-time 3-pointers list.
This time, he officially added another thousand to his steady accumulation of NBA points.
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“It’s been awesome, especially when I shoot the ball well and we win. What a nice combo,” Thompson said of his historic week.
It was apparent Thompson and the Mavericks were headed for another successful night from the 3-point line as soon as he connected on his third 3-pointer of the first quarter. That was one of six triples for Thompson, who led his team in scoring for the second straight game with 23 points on 6 of 11 from beyond the arc.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd joked the team would run out of game balls to hand Thompson after he collected two in consecutive games and several more since he arrived in Dallas.
“We gave him another ball,” Kidd said. “Every time he does something, we win so we’re just gonna have to keep that tradition going.
“But his career, future Hall of Fame, you can see the energy and the fun that he’s having with this group and it’s carrying over to the others. We need that energy and we need that shooting.”
Dallas scored 42 points in the first quarter, which tied its second-highest amount scored in a quarter this season. After knocking down 19 3-pointers on Thursday, the Mavericks drilled seven alone in the first 12 minutes of play. Overall, Dallas connected on 18 of 41 from beyond the arc.
It was a byproduct of spreading the ball around the court, leading to 36 assists, which eclipsed Thursday’s total of 33. Before the game, Jazz coach Will Hardy noticed the Mavericks’ intention to move the ball was one of the main differences when they play without star rookie Cooper Flagg.
“Cooper is obviously a focal point for them on the offensive side of the ball when he plays. Last game, they had us spinning around pretty good with a variety of guys playing dribble drive,” Hardy said. “They move the ball great. They move the ball well when Cooper plays, but it felt like a little bit more equal opportunity to start the possession.”
Eyes on the ball: See photos from the Dallas Mavericks’ win over the Utah Jazz
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The Mavericks played their third game of the season without Flagg, who missed his second consecutive game with a left ankle sprain. By missing Saturday’s game, Flagg will enter Monday’s road game against the New York Knicks with four full days of rest, setting the stage for what could be his Madison Square Garden debut on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Flagg wasn’t the only rotation player missing on Saturday. PJ Washington was initially listed as probable to return from right ankle injury management, but was ruled out Saturday morning because of personal reasons. Daniel Gafford and D’Angelo Russell (illness) were also out, joining the team’s long list of usual inactives.
Thompson, who entered the game needing just eight points to reach the 17,000-point mark, also talked about his ability to quickly find a rhythm from beyond the arc.
“I got in one of those heaters at the end of the second quarter and it felt great,” he said. “I’m going to carry that same flow into New York City.”
Thompson didn’t score in the second half, but his teammates didn’t need him to because they held a healthy double-digit lead for the majority of the game.
Brandon Williams played an efficient game with 22 points, four rebounds and five assists on 8 of 13 shooting to complement Thompson, along with Max Christie, who returned from a two-game absence because of illness and poured in 22 points as well.
Both teams finish the season series with two wins each on their home court. By evening the series against the 13th-place Jazz, the 12th-place Mavericks gained a lead of 2½ games ahead in the Western Conference standings.
The Mavericks will now try to take their recent 3-point shooting success on the road against the Knicks after significant improvement from beyond the arc in consecutive showings against the Jazz.
Saturday’s TV/Radio listings (Jan. 17)
The Dallas Mavericks will once again take on the Utah Jazz at American Airlines Center.
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