Klay Thompson Sparks Mavericks Past Kings to Advance in Play-In Tournament

Klay Thompson delivered a standout performance on Wednesday night, scoring 23 points — including 16 in a dominant second quarter — to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 120-106 victory over the Sacramento Kings in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament.

Exactly one year after a forgettable showing in Sacramento — where he went 0-for-10 from the field in what would be his final game as a Golden State Warrior — Thompson redeemed himself in emphatic fashion. He drilled four 3-pointers in Dallas’ explosive 44-point second quarter, turning the tide and giving the Mavericks complete control.

With the win, the Mavericks move on to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night. The winner of that game will clinch the No. 8 seed and face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

Dallas’ road to this moment has been anything but smooth. The franchise sent shockwaves through the league earlier this season by trading superstar Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis — a move that stirred up backlash among fans. Then came another blow: star point guard Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending knee injury, casting doubt on the Mavericks' postseason hopes after reaching the NBA Finals last year.

But on Wednesday, with Thompson firing on all cylinders and the defense locking in, Dallas looked like a team on a mission. The Mavericks opened the second quarter with a 20-6 run, sparked by a pair of back-to-back threes from Thompson. By halftime, they had stretched the lead to 23 points, effectively putting the game out of reach.

Anthony Davis paced Dallas with 27 points in the win, while Sacramento’s DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 33 points, and Zach LaVine added 20.

The loss capped off a turbulent season for the Kings. After firing head coach Mike Brown in December and trading away star guard De’Aaron Fox in February, Sacramento failed to find stability. The result? Missing the playoffs for the 18th time in 19 seasons. With their season now over, big questions loom — starting with the future of interim coach Doug Christie.