
Imago
via Imagn

Imago
via Imagn
Drama hit Dallas last night in a tense finish that had the arena on its toes. With just 27 seconds left and the Mavericks down three to the Grizzlies, Jason Kidd turned to a familiar option. A play designed for Klay Thompson, one of the greatest shooters ever. But instead of a storybook moment, the sequence unraveled, leaving the Mavericks stunned and the crowd in disbelief.
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Klay Thompson hit outside of the rim as the Magic grabbed an offensive rebound. After which, they nailed three of their four free throws following a couple of fouls from Dallas to hold on for a 102-96 win. Although many blamed Klay’s poor shot selection for the loss, Kidd took responsibility for the team’s performance on himself after the game.
After the final buzzer, which was followed by a heated argument between Ja Morant and Thompson, Kidd said, “As a coach, I take full responsibility for that last shot that we got to get better. I got to drop a better play.” But how did it unfold?
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The inbounds went to Max Christie, then to Cooper Flagg, who finally swung it to Klay Thompson. But the play never developed the clean look Dallas wanted. The four-time champion caught the ball near the logo, crowded by Flagg and two Memphis defenders, and was forced into a deep, desperation heave. And the shot that never had a real chance. Naturally, after taking the fall, the Mavs’ longtime head coach still proceeded to laud the shooting guard’s performance, despite that missed shot.

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Mar 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) reacts against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Indeed, Thompson was one of the few bright spots for the Mavs. The 35-year-old finished the night with 22 points, including six three-pointers. However, sadly, he couldn’t hit the one that mattered the most. Still, it was great to see Klay finally in his element after what has been a terrible start to the campaign for him. More so, he even confronted Ja Morant after the game.
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Klay Thompson and Ja Morant engage in a heated exchange after the game
The action between the Dallas Mavericks and the Memphis Grizzlies wasn’t limited to the court. That’s because as soon as everyone heard the final buzzer inside the American Airlines Center, Ja Morant, who was in street clothes, decided to have a part in it. The Grizzlies’ point guard, who is sidelined with a right calf strain, headed toward Klay Thompson and took a jab at him.
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Although not much was clearly heard, it seemed like Morant called Klay a “bum.”
Soon after, people from both camps came forward to separate the two. The verbal exchange did not stop there as the Memphis Grizzlies’ controversial star decided to crash the interview of his teammate Cam Spencer, who scored 17 points coming off the bench, including three three-pointers.
Morant not only praised his young teammate but also took a massive dig at Klay Thompson. “Tell them who the best shooter in the house was,” Morant said. “It wasn’t bro from Golden State.”
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Although Morant’s situation in Memphis is far from ideal, following his reported fallout with first-year head coach Tuomas Iisalo, it seems like he is still pretty close to his teammates.

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Nov 20, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Cam Spencer (24), guard Marcus Smart (36), guard Ja Morant (12), forward GG Jackson II (45) and guard Yuki Kawamura (17) react from the bench during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Klay also clapped back later when he was asked about the incident inside the Mavs locker room. The Dallas veteran called Morant a “funny guy” who “rarely takes accountability” for his actions. By the looks of it, this beef between the two guards is far from over. So, this should be something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks, especially when the two meet each other again in February.
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