"Floppy disk"- Fans pile on Klay Thompson's misery as Mavs star goes scoreless in Luka Doncic's absence

Klay Thompson's performance in Friday night's game against the Denver Nuggets was reminiscent of his last game with the Golden State Warriors, as he went scoreless for the Dallas Mavericks. Despite his struggles, the Mavericks, without Luka Doncic, triumphed over the Nuggets 123-120, ruining Nikola Jokic’s return to action.

Thompson's last scoreless outing was during a Play-In Tournament game against the Sacramento Kings, where he made zero of his 10 shots. In this game, he played 23 minutes and took eight shots (including four 3-pointers) but missed all of them.

Fans took to social media to criticize Thompson, with one referring to him as a "floppy disk," implying that he looked outdated and ineffective, especially in a game where his scoring was needed with Doncic out.

“Klay Thompson (went scoreless) in a game without Doncic where his scoring was needed. This man is a disgrace. I am so glad we didn't give him that contract. Floppy disk,” the fan said.

Others joked about giving him a new nickname.

“Might just have to call him Klank Thompson,” one said.

“The backboard hates to see klank,” another said.

“The backboard dreads the sound of a clank,” another added.

Thompson is averaging 14.0 points per game this season. Before this, he had only gone scoreless four times in regular-season games: once in 2011, twice in 2012 and once in 2023.

Here are other reactions to Thompson’s scoreless night:

“That's bad on a day when they needed him the most,” one said

“Construction worker,” another added.

Mavs’ offseason signings shine as Klay Thompson struggles

Klay Thompson contributed four assists and four rebounds, finishing with a team-high plus-nine in his 23 minutes on the floor. Despite his shooting woes, other Dallas Mavericks newcomers rose to the occasion to secure the win.

Naji Marshall had a career-best performance, scoring 26 points on 11-for-15 shooting, including three 3-pointers. In Luka Doncic's absence, Quentin Grimes stepped up as a starter, scoring 14 points on nine shots, marking his second-highest-scoring game of the season.

PJ Washington led the Mavericks with 22 points and 13 rebounds, while Kyrie Irving added 19 points, six assists and six rebounds.

Nikola Jokic was a dominant force in his return after the birth of his child, recording 33 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists. Jamal Murray scored 14 points on 16 shots but contributed 11 assists.

Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Braun each scored 17 points, while Russell Westbrook chipped in with 16 points off the bench.