Klay Thompson Stats Tonight: How did Mavericks star fare against Houston Rockets? (Jan. 1)

Klay Thompson returned to play for the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday after missing one game due to an illness. The four-time champ started the game against the Houston Rockets on the road.

Thompson had an impressive start against the Rockets. In seven minutes, he scored eight points, three rebounds, and one assist, helping the Mavericks take a 30-24 lead after the first quarter.

After a superb first quarter, the former Golden State Warriors star struggled in the next period. He couldn't add to his totals and committed two turnovers in the quarter. The Dallas Mavericks trailed 61-52 at halftime.

Klay Thompson started the third quarter but struggled defensively, forcing Jason Kidd to go to Quentin Grimes and Jaden Hardy. The veteran guard had two points and two rebounds in the quarter. Dallas faced an 89-75 deficit heading into the final quarter.

Thompson started the fourth quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Mavericks a little life. The Houston Rockets, however, couldn’t be denied. Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green and Cam Whitmore led the hosts to a 110-99 win.

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	FG	3-PT FG	FT	+/-
Klay Thompson	16	5	1	1	0	5	6-11	4-8	0-0	-21

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Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks continue to struggle without Luka Doncic

Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks have struggled since Luka Doncic strained his left calf against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Christmas. The 110-99 loss to the Houston Rockets was their third straight and fourth in their last five games.

With Luka Magic out, opponents have been aggressive in sending double teams to Kyrie Irving. Uncle Drew has responded well, but against good defensive teams, the mercurial point guard has also struggled. Irving had 46 points on Saturday against the Portland Trail Blazers, one of the worst teams on defense. The Rockets, ranked second in defensive rating, held him to 16 points.

Klay Thompson has also been inefficient since Doncic went out. Before shooting 4-for-8 against the Rockets, he had been 7-for-24 from deep in his last three games. Doncic will be re-evaluated after one month. Thompson and the rest of the roster have to step up to give Irving a boost.