Klay Thompson: 'It Hurts' to Be on Other Side of Stephen Curry's Shooting 'Flurries'

Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson liked it better when Steph Curry was shooting three-pointers for his team rather than against it.

"It hurts to be on the other side of one of his flurries," Thompson said Tuesday after the host Golden State Warriors opened NBA Cup group-stage play with a 120-117 win over the Mavs. "Guy got hot at the end and made some ridiculous shots. And I've been on the other end, and it sucks."

Thompson added: "Hopefully, we can learn from it, and learn their tendencies a little better. Sucks, because this was a big game for the Cup, so something we just gotta digest and move forward."

Curry scored the Warriors' last 12 points, including a three-pointer from 28 feet out in the final 30 seconds of the victory.

Curry ended the night having gone 14-of-27 for a game-high 37 points while also leading the Warriors with nine assists and adding six rebounds.

He finished the game with a pair of two-point baskets, two from behind the arc, and a pair of game-sealing free throws all in the final 3:10 of play.

His performance was a boon for the NBA Cup—which was launched last season in the hopes of increasing interest in early regular-season games—as well as a tough welcome to Thompson in his return to the Bay Area for the first time since this summer's sign-and-trade with the Mavericks.

Thompson played the first 11 seasons of his career with the Warriors, where he won four NBA championships as part of the Splash Brothers duo with Curry.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that Curry knew heading into the game that he would be matched up defensively with his former teammate.

"We did our pregame scout, and we went through the matchups, and it was almost surreal saying, 'Alright, Steph, you got Klay,'" Kerr said. "And Steph smiled as soon as he saw the matchups. I looked over at him, and he smiled and kind of shook his head."

The Mavericks and Warriors are slated to meet twice more in February, with Curry heading to Dallas for the first time this season on Feb. 12 followed by another reunion in the Bay Area when Thompson returns on Feb. 23.