Klay Thompson is unlikely to play on Thursday against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Dallas Mavericks listed him as doubtful due to rest ahead of the six-game road trip finale and on the front end of a back-to-back. Dallas hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

The Mavericks remain without Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery) and Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery) for the season. Two-way players Moussa Cissé, John Poulakidas, and Tyler Smith are also doubtful to play in Memphis.

Lately, Thompson has played some of his best basketball of the season for the Mavericks. Over his last four performances, he has averaged 17.3 points on 47.1% shooting from deep.

Klay Thompson’s Night Against the Atlanta Hawks

Thompson led the Mavericks with 21 points in a 124-112 loss against the Atlanta Hawks despite coming off the bench, shooting 8-of-16 from the field and 5-of-11 from beyond the arc in 28 minutes. He and Khris Middleton were instrumental in Dallas rallying back from down 14 in the second half. Middleton, coming off the bench for the first time in 11 games, scored 16 points and shot 5-of-8. Dallas eventually tied it at 97-97 using a step-back mid-range jumper from Middleton early in the fourth quarter.

Thompson felt the key to his performance in Atlanta was to simply take what the defense gave him.

“Just taking what the defense gives me,” Thompson said. “I got a couple of open looks from my teammates and got into a little rhythm. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, but it’s always fun to shoot the ball well.”

Jason Kidd said he had a feeling Thompson’s shooting flury second half was imminent.

“We felt maybe in that first half he missed some shots he normally makes,” Kidd said. “We felt that if he got those same looks in the second half, he’d knock them down. I thought that’s what he did tonight.”

How the Dallas Mavericks Lost Their Eighth Straight

The Mavericks have lost eight consecutive games and 18 of their last 20. Last game, Dallas had the game tied in the fourth quarter before Atlanta pulled away. Nickeil Alexander-Walker hit two straight clutch 3-pointers and finished with 29 points. Jalen Johnson scored 27. Onyeka Okongwu recorded 18 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks.

Cooper Flagg was held to 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting. Since returning from an eight-game absence caused by a left midfoot sprain, he has yet to hit the 20-point mark.

Dallas faced a considerable hole, largely due to turning the ball over 14 times and allowing 40 points in the first quarter, before clawing back.

“Our team is young and a relatively new group together,” Thompson said. “We’re obviously missing some great players like Kyrie and D-Live, so it’s tough because we haven’t been whole. It’s hard to really say until we are whole.”

Once Thompson heated up, the Hawks adjusted to try to slow him down. Dyson Daniels mentioned it was Atlanta’s top priority in the fourth quarter.

“Klay was getting hot, so we had to take him out of the game, make other people try to beat us once we started getting stops, getting the game back in our terms, where we get out and run,” Daniels said. “I thought we executed really well down the stretch.”

Jalen Johnson also credited the Hawks’ focused effort to contain Thompson as the difference in the game.

“I think we did a better job once Klay got going — started running their shooters off the line and making it more difficult, trying to turn them into drivers,” Johnson said. “We did a good job, eventually cutting his water off, or trying our best to.”

Klay Thompson’s Recent Stretch and the Rest Decision

Over Thompson’s previous four games — excluding a five-point outing in Toronto — he has delivered some of his strongest performances in a Mavericks uniform. He scored 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting at Orlando on March 5, then added 19 against Boston on March 6. Tuesday’s 21-point performance against Atlanta was another standout night.

Thompson, 35, is averaging 11.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on 39.4% shooting from the field and 38.4% from 3-point range across 58 games this season. With the Mavericks wrapping up a six-game road trip in Memphis, managing his workload is a logical move for a team with nothing left to play for in the standings, and it has been done previously this season.

As the Mavericks play out a 21-44 season that will surely end without postseason competition, Thompson is focused on having fun and finishing strong.

“Just having fun with the game and trying to finish the year as strong as I possibly can,” Thompson said. “Try to build some momentum going into the summer and stay in great shape. I’ve got big goals in my career, so just staying positive and finishing the year strong.”

Thursday’s game tips off at 7 p.m. CT on MavsTV.

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