Curry’s Late 3 Emotional Thompson Return Lift Warriors Past Mavericks on Christmas

By Blessing Nweke

Stephen Curry delivered another clutch Christmas performance, scoring 23 points and drilling a pivotal 3-pointer with 3:45 remaining as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks 126-116 on Thursday.

Jimmy Butler flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 14 points, nine assists and nine rebounds to help Golden State secure the holiday victory. The Warriors balanced scoring effort and timely shooting down the stretch proved too much for a short-handed Dallas team.

The game carried extra emotion with Klay Thompson returning to face his former Warriors teammates. Thompson, who missed Tuesday’s game against Denver because of left knee soreness, exchanged a warm embrace with Curry at midcourt before tipoff. He was greeted with a loud ovation when he checked in for the first time with 5:51 left in the opening quarter, as Curry was seen sneaking glances at Thompson during pregame warmups.

Dallas rookie star Cooper Flagg shined in his Christmas Day debut, pouring in 27 points on 13-for-21 shooting while adding six rebounds and five assists. Brandon Williams provided a spark off the bench with 26 points, helping keep the Mavericks within striking distance throughout much of the night.

The Mavericks’ hopes took a hit when center Anthony Davis exited in the second quarter with groin spasms and did not return. Davis totaled three points, three rebounds and two blocks in just 11 minutes.

Golden State overcame a slow shooting start, missing its first six attempts from beyond the arc before Moses Moody connected midway through the first quarter. Al Horford, returning from a seven-game absence due to sciatica in his right leg, helped ignite the offense. He knocked down all four of his 3-pointer, scoring 14 points as the Warriors surged to a 40-28 lead after one quarter.

Draymond Green started and contributed seven points and five rebounds while battling foul trouble, two days after he and coach Steve Kerr publicly apologized following a heated sideline exchange.

De’Anthony Melton scored 16, while Brandin Podziemski added 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists off the bench as Golden State closed out the win.