Guard Max Christie rejoined the Mavericks’ lineup Saturday night and delivered a key performance in an 18-point victory against Utah. The 22-year-old had sat out the previous two games with an illness that swept through the roster.
Christie scored 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting, added four assists, two rebounds and two steals, and finished plus-29 in 26 minutes. “He’s one of our best shooters and most athletic guys, but we missed him on defense, too,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “Getting him back was big for us.”
Klay Thompson Reaches 17,000 Career Points
Veteran guard/forward Klay Thompson continued his historic week by surpassing 17,000 career points during the win. Thompson, who earlier passed Damian Lillard for fourth place on the NBA’s all-time three-pointers list, tallied 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting in just 20 minutes. “When I shoot well and we win, that’s a great combo,” Thompson said.
Bench Contributions
Backup guard Brandon Williams, a pending free agent, supplied 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting along with five assists, four rebounds and two steals. He registered a game-best plus-30 in 28 minutes.
Caleb Martin Finding Rhythm
Caleb Martin posted six rebounds, five assists and three points in 21 minutes Saturday, two games after averaging 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.0 steals while shooting 83.3% inside the arc and 60% from deep. The 30-year-old, slowed for months by a hip issue, said he feels significantly better now. “Just thinking less, feeling better,” Martin noted. He has started the past two contests in place of Cooper Flagg, who remains out with a sprained ankle.
Source: HoopsRumors
