Half-Time Performance: Irving Scores in the First Quarter, Thompson Shines in the Second

On October 18, NBA preseason games continued, with the Dallas Mavericks hosting the Milwaukee Bucks. The Mavericks secured their first preseason win with a final score of 109-84.

Previously, the Mavericks had lost all three of their preseason games. As the team’s final preseason game, coach Jason Kidd only scheduled key players to play for half the match. With Luka Dončić continuing to sit out, both Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson played only half the game.

In the first quarter, Irving was on fire, scoring immediately with a backdoor layup. He went 5-for-5 in the first quarter, tallying 12 points. In the second quarter, Irving did not focus much on offense, often passing the ball to his teammates. By halftime, Irving had gone 6-for-7, scoring 14 points, grabbing 2 rebounds, dishing out 2 assists, making 1 steal, and recording 2 blocks. He also hit 2 of 3 three-pointers, with a +13 plus-minus rating.

Klay Thompson struggled in the previous game, going 0-for-9. In this game, he started 0-for-3 in the first quarter without scoring, but he erupted in the second quarter, hitting 4 of 8 shots and scoring 11 points. By halftime, Thompson’s stats stood at 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists, hitting 3 of 7 three-pointers, with a +18 plus-minus rating.

The Mavericks’ bench players also performed well, with Daniel Gafford scoring 11 points, Jaden Hardy 11 points, and Dorian Finney-Smith 10 points and 9 rebounds. Brandon Williams added 10 points.