Klay Thompson makes history, leads plucky Mavericks fill-ins to runaway win over Jazz

The dismal perspective of the current situation is that the Dallas Mavericks are forced to rely upon two-way contracts and emergency signees to sustain their roster. The sanguine perspective is that those same part-time players might manage to impact a victory. The proposterous perspective — at least given how things have gone for, well, the last year — is that they might witness history.

Try Mouss Cissé’s point of view on for size. The 6-foot-11 rookie, a two-way player in his sixth NBA game, rumbled up the court and positioned himself under the basket for a would-be offensive rebound with just over a minute left in the first quarter of Thursday’s game vs. the Utah Jazz.

He didn’t get one. Not due to a lack of effort, or a lack of opportunity, but because his teammate Klay Thompson drained a historic 3-pointer from the wing before he flung his hands up to celebrate a high point in an otherwise wayward season.

“I’m happy to be a part of that,” Cissé said. “I set him a couple of screens.”

Mavericks

Thompson, told of Cissé’s remark, chuckled.

“Every time I threw it to him,” Thompson said, “he gave me an assist.”

Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) shoots a three-point shot during the first half of...

Thompson gave a makeshift roster an anchor in a blowout win in return. He scored a season-high 26 points and moved further up the sport’s 3-point leaderboard in a 144-122 win vs. the Utah Jazz Thursday night at American Airlines Center.

The 35-year-old sharpshooter passed Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard for fourth place on the all-time made 3-pointers list late in the first quarter. He tied Lillard with his 2,804th made three at the 3:52 mark of the first quarter and passed him with his 2,805th two-and-a-half minutes later.

He passed Lillard with a 3-pointer that gave the Mavericks a 31-24 lead with 1:18 left in the first, walked toward the baseline with both hands raised, and turned back up the court with a double fist pump to boot.

“Any time you can move up the history books, it’s pretty cool,” Thompson said. “I I just kind of enjoyed that moment of euphoria for a second.”

Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry (4,201), Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (3,293) and Basketball Hall of Famer Ray Allen (2,973) are the only players who’ve made more 3-pointers than Thompson has.

“Hopefully, one day I stay healthy, and I’m able to pass Ray Allen,” Thompson said. “That would be really, really cool for me. I watched him so much growing up and I was able to meet him my rookie year. That conversation we had inspired me to be the player I am today.”

Said Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd: “I believe Klay has a lot left in the tank too. He should climb up that list.”

Thompson was one of seven Mavericks who finished with double-digit points in Thursday’s win. That they even had seven players available to score in double figures was a miracle in and of itself. The Mavericks were without four of their five lead scorers and rookie Cooper Flagg, who left Wednesday’s game vs. the Denver Nuggets with an ankle sprain, was among eight Mavericks players ruled out Thursday night. Daniel Gafford (ankle sprain), P.J. Washington Jr. (ankle injury management) and Max Christie (illness) were also sidelined.

Kidd said he has “no idea” if the players with short-term injuries will be available to play Saturday vs. the Jazz.

“Hopefully we can get healthy,” Kidd said. “Understanding ankles, last night, that’s just part of basketball. It’s a next-man-up mentality. We’ve been through this before.”

The next men up — a group that included those on two-way and 10-day contracts — were enough against a young Jazz team that started exclusively players in their first, second or third seasons.

Cissé, whom the Mavericks signed to a two-way contract in the fall, out-physicaled Utah’s frontcourt to post a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Ryan Nembhard, another two-way signee, had 12 points and 10 assists off of the bench. Even Jeremiah Robinson-Earl — who signed a 10-day contract with the Mavericks Thursday afternoon — pulled down five rebounds, slammed an emphatic dunk and cashed a 3-pointer in his Dallas debut.

“I don’t know when I’m going to get in,” Cissé said after his sixth game with the Mavericks this season. “So, whenever I get a chance, I go over there and just perform.”

The Mavericks led by as many as 38 points in the second half and never relinquished the 20-point advantage that they built in the first. Thompson, who threw up a goggles celebration and a few fist pumps during a blitz of somewhat vintage bucket flurries, helped spur a 14-3 run that ended the first quarter and a 9-2 run midway through the third that solidified the lead.

“I thought Klay was the leader of the group,” Kidd said, “in the sense of the energy that the guys played off of him.”

The Mavericks, now 16-26, have won half of their last eight games as they draft toward the Feb. 5 trade deadline that may determine the immediate future and direction of the franchise. Their season has been marred by the aftermath of the Luka Doncic trade, the dismissal of general manager Nico Harrison, the will-they-won’t-they of an Anthony Davis trade and, now, injuries.

It’s given some, like Cissé, a chance.

It’s given others, like Thompson, milestone moments.

“It was one of those wins that you look back on,” Thompson said. “Those dog days in mid January were fun. You got to play with guys who cherish these moments and don’t get the opportunity as frequently as we do. It was awesome.”

Twitter/X: @McFarland_Shawn

Photos: Mavericks slam Jazz, run away with dominant win

Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) shoots a three-point shot during the first half of... View Gallery Watch: Mavericks’ Klay Thompson moves into 4th place all-time in 3-pointers made