Klay Thompson was sensational in his walk down memory lane

SAN FRANCISCO – When Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson came to the Chase Center on Nov. 12 for the first time as a member of a team Not named the Golden State Warriors, approximately 400 Warriors employees lined the aisle and greeted him with a warm reception that led to the visitor’s locker room.

Those employees, along with the fans who filled the Chase Center that night, wore captain’s hats that the team handed out in honor of Thompson’s affinity for sailing and the water. No such fanfare occurred Sunday night during Thompson’s second trip to the Bay Area as an ex-Warriors player, nor was it expected.

And it was more to Thompson’s liking, describing Sunday’s semi-emotional return to the Bay Area as “much easier” the second time around.

“Especially don’t lookeing all the captain’s hats,” Thompson said. “I saw a few though, so that was cool.

“But it’s a lot easier and I felt more settled than I did the first time I was here.”

Thompson was so poised and focused that he tallied a season-high 29 points Sunday on 9-of-14 shooting. He was also 7-of-11 from three-point range and converted three consecutive triples down the stretch to help the Mavs get out of town with an entertaining 143-133 victory over the Warriors.

As he spent the first 13 years of his career with the Warriors and helped them win four NBA titles,ompson felt a certain way after Sunday’s game. He said as far as regular season wins go, for him this one was special and ranks right up there with any regular season game he’s had, which is why he took the time to cherish the moment.

“I just wanted to take that moment myself because I spent a lot of days here, especially when I couldn’t play,” Thompson said. “And just to take in the crowd in the arena, I just took that moment for myself because I worked so hard to get back to this, to feel like I feel like I owed myself a second just to to soak it all in.”

Even the fans got into it when they started cheering when Thompson guarded his former Splash Brother teammate, Stephen Curry, or vice versa.

“It’s different, but I’m getting more used to it every time we face each other,” Thompson said. “I mean we guarded each other a lot of times in training and games and you always appreciate the moments when you meet the best players so it’s cool.

“I must say that I guarded Steph like I was guarding Kobe (Bryant) and (Kevin Durant) and that’s just another story I’m going to tell.”

Another story Thompson told was what happened after the Mavs’ charter arrived in the Bay Area on Saturday.

“I went and drove by my old neighborhood and I was able to go to my friend’s house in Oakland and have a good meal,” he said. “I drove past the Oracle (Arena where the Warriors used to play in Oakland).

“I drove by downtown Oakland and it was very surreal because I was 21 years old when I came here and it’s always special to see the city and the city. So many good memories.”

Thompson’s memory will be that much more pleasant knowing his four free throws in the waning moment Sunday — after the Warriors cut a 19-point deficit to 138-133 — helped seal this victory for the Mavs.

“It’s always going to be special to see Klay for the rest of his career when we play them — wherever that is,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “It will always be special because of what he meant to us.

“It’s good to get the first one (back in November) out of the way – just the emotion of it, the welcome. I’m sure he’s happy to have it behind him too.”

Now back to the captain’s hats. Apparently, they’re a very hot commodity in the Bay Area, which warms Thompson’s heart. Why?

“Because sailing and seamanship is probably the only thing that gives me maybe as much joy as basketball,” Thompson said. “So I’m just really happy that maybe I’ve got a whole new demographic of people wearing that hat that maybe have never been on the water before, so that makes me happy.”

WARRIORS TRADE SCHRODER: In an effort to bolster their backcourt, the Warriors acquired guard Dennis Schroder and a 2025 draft pick from the Brooklyn Nets for De’Anthony Melton, Reece Beekman and three second-round draft picks.

“I’m excited,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “I told Dennis today he’s kicked my (butt) on three different continents, so if you can’t beat him, join him.”

Schroder will line up in the Warriors’ backcourt alongside Stephen Curry. Ironically, it’s the same spot Klay Thompson held before he signed a free agent contract with the Mavs last season.

“He’s a gamer, he’s a competitor, pick-and-roll player, two-way player,” Kerr said of Schroder. “Losing Melton was a huge loss. By the way, I want to say thank you to De’Anthony and Reece for everything, their contribution, their commitment, their effort. It’s always hard to trade guys and we wish them both the best of luck.

“But you have to do what you have to do to get better, and this was a move that we felt made perfect sense. Anything we need, we feel (Schroder) can provide.”

WASHINGTON THE HEART AND SOUL: After thinking about it, Mavs coach Jason Kidd describes forward PJ Washington as the heart and soul of his team.

“When we got the trade for PJ (last February), we got to see who PJ is or has become,” Kidd said. “It is more of, you could say, the heart and soul of the team.

“(He’s) the guy who does all the dirty work, the guy who goes unnoticed in a sense that he might not be talked about as an MVP or an All-Star, butIt is someone who is the glue of the team, someone who you can really rely on in any situation defensively or offensively.”

Washington’s value to the Mavs is evident in the fact that they are just 1-6 this season in which he has not been able to play. But he was back on the court after missing last Tuesday’s 118-104 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder with an illness.

“When you have guys like (Kyrie Irving) and Luka (Dončić), they tend to get a lot of attention, and rightfully so,” Kidd said. “But when you look at PJ, just what he brings — his grit, his toughness, his basketball skill set fits perfectly with what we’re trying to accomplish.

“You can look at him as kind of the heart and soul of the team. When he’s out, we haven’t done well. The numbers tell us we’re not playing well without him, so it’s good to have him back.”

SHORT: The Mavs can make a strong case that between Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, they can rank these two among any center combo in the NBA. Gafford is averaging 12.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks and leads the NBA in field goal shooting at a whopping 73.8 percent. Lively, meanwhile, is averaging 8.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks and is shooting a robust 67.6 percent from the floor. Coach Jason Kidd said, “I think when you look at our center position, we have the best one-two punch. Both can start, both have started this year for us. They both compliment each other, they both push each other , they both cheer for each other, so it’s a great situation to be in as a coach. But as a teammate, it’s great when you watch D-Live and he’s successful, and Gaff is the first one off the bench to cheer him on , and vice versa.”

X: @DwainPrice