In what was easily one of the most exciting battles of this young 2024-25 NBA season, Steph Curry defeated former Splash Brother Klay Thompson on Tuesday night, rallying the Warriors of the Golden State to a 120-117 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in each team NBA Cup opener.

Playing his first game in San Francisco since being traded to the Mavs last offseason, Thompson was honored with a emotional video package highlighting his 13-year career with Golden State during pre-game presentations.

Fans at Chase Center were also all given captain’s hats to honor Thompson’s tradition of crossing the San Francisco Bay by boat before home games, earning him the nickname “Captain Klay.”

Thompson played well in his return, tying his season high with 22 points and stopping six of 12 shots from the three-point line. Eight of those points came in a span of two minutes and 18 seconds in the fourth quarter.

With 7:33 remaining, the five-time NBA All-Star hit his fifth triple of the game to give the Mavericks a 103-102 advantage, their first lead since early in the third quarter. After a Moses Moody dunk at the other end, Thompson made a layup on the next possession to give Dallas a 105-104 lead.

And with 5:17 left, he hit a deep three to give the Mavs a 110-105 lead. But those were the last points Thompson would score.

His old backcourt mate, however, was just getting started. Up to that point, Curry had scored 25 points but failed to score in the fourth quarter. A little more than two minutes later, however, the two-time NBA MVP changed that, hitting a 15-foot pull-up jumper to bring the Warriors within four at 114-110.

And from there it was a whirlwind Curry went on a radiatorscoring 10 points in the final three minutes, including a pair of three-pointers, the second of which gave Golden State a 118-114 lead with 26.4 seconds left and prompted No. 30 to pull back his patented move “Night, Night”.

The Mavs pulled within one on a Quentin Grimes triple on the ensuing possession, but Curry ultimately sealed the deal with a pair of free throws with just over 12 ticks remaining on the clock. In the end, Steph finished with a game-high 37 points, hitting 14 of 27 shots overall and five of 12 from beyond the arc.

For 13 years, Thompson watched Curry heat up and lead the Warriors to a come-from-behind victory. But now, wearing a different uniform, he didn’t like it much, as he explained in his postgame press conference.

"It hurts to be on the other side of one of his gusts," Thompson said. “The guy got hot at the end and made some ridiculous shots. You know, I wasn’t on the other end, and that sucks.”

One has to wonder if Thompson regrets his decision to leave Golden State. And make no mistake; that’s what happened. It’s not like the Warriors kicked him out. Klay seemed to sense he needed a change, and the Dubs obliged. But for now, the grass is not greener.

While the Warriors are off to a blistering start, winning nine of their first 11 games, the Mavericks, who just made the NBA Finals, are in a rut to open the new season, starting just 5-6. And Thompson isn’t having the best year from an individual standpoint.

Although his 22-point effort Tuesday night helped, he’s averaging just 14.5 points, his lowest total since his rookie season, and is shooting just 41.7 percent from the floor and 37 .2% from the three-point line, two career lows.

But it worked out well for the Warriors, who actually look better without him in many ways. And now, with Curry back healthy after missing a few games last week with an ankle injury, this team is dangerous, as Klay and his new teammates have just discovered.

This was Thompson’s first of two trips to the Bay this season, as the Warriors will host the Mavericks again on February 23. We can only hope for the same type of playoff atmosphere as Tuesday night.