Klay Thompson saw some three-pointers go down.
Dereck Lively II coaxed in a left-handed hook shot.
And Kyrie Irving simply stole the show.
The wily veteran served notice that the regular season cannot start soon enough. He dominated the first half in the Mavericks’ final preseason matchup Thursday night, nailing his first six shots and orchestrating a 109-84 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at American Airlines Center.
The Mavericks finished the preseason 1-3, and Luka Dončić didn’t play in any of the games. But Irving and Thompson did play and both showed what they needed to show on Thursday.
Thompson had missed all nine of his shots at the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. And his first four were off the mark Thursday. But he hit a groove in the second quarter against the Bucks, hitting four of his last seven shots, three from long range, and finishing the first half with 11 points and six rebounds.
If anybody was worried about him, any concerns were erased.
“Klay got great looks,” coach Jason Kidd said of his showing against the Clippers. “They haven’t gone down, but that’s the life of a shooter. He’s going to keep shooting. And he made some. I think yesterday was big for him to be able to play with Luka (in practice). He hasn’t had that opportunity.
“He made three (shots) in a row (Thursday), but we’ve seen that in that other jersey. So it was good to see it in our jersey.”
Thompson said he’s eager to get to the regular season and shrugged off any shooting inconsistencies.
“It felt good to catch a good rhythm,” he said. “I haven’t played since April. You can’t really simulate live play, no matter how much practice. It’s preseason and that’s what it’s for, to get your legs under you and I thought I was able to do that in three games.
“I’ll be ready in a week. I haven’t been this excited in a long, long time.”
Irving? He got the Mavericks rolling early and they took off to a 54-38 halftime lead. He had 14 points by halftime and neither he nor Thompson took the court in the second half.
But all the production on Thursday really was little more than whetting the Mavericks’ appetite for Oct. 24, when they open the regular season at AAC against San Antonio.
And the Mavericks now have six days to fine tune things.
“We got Luka for one day,” Kidd said of Wednesday’s practice. “We’ve had him for a total of two days in training camp. To be able to get him (Friday) and start to foster that chemistry, we got less than a week to do that. But we’re in a good seat. We’re healthy. We’re deep. And now we have to become a team.”
Lively on Thursday also flashed regular-season form with 10 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. He hit all four of his shots from the field and both free throws he attempted.
Granted, the Bucks did not play any of their projected starters: Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez. Nevertheless, the Mavericks will head into the week of practice before the season begins with a morsel of momentum.
Mission accomplished: Kidd said before Thursday’s game that there really was only one goal against the Bucks.
“Health, that’s it,” he said. “I don’t care who shoots it or throws it in the stands. This is about health.”
And as for the ailing players, he said: “Everybody’s trending in the right direction. Everybody’s doing the things they’re supposed to be doing.
“We want to start off (the season) with everyone participating. We would not like Luka or anyone to miss the beginning of the season. Health is a big thing, especially when you play until June.
“Hopefully by the 24th we’re healthy and ready to go. But we’re not talking about last year. That book is closed. Now we have to create that chemistry and that trust. The big goal is to win a championship, but the tiny ones are what we have to achieve first.”
And that starts with health. And Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers could relate to the Mavericks’ predicament after reaching the NBA Finals.
“Jason’s focus is on his golf game,” Rivers joked pregame. “Other than that . . . yeah, that’s the key and they went to the Finals. Luka played in the Olympics (qualifier). It’s tough coming back. This is a short (summer) for them.
“You really have to focus on health. The good thing is when you’ve gone to the Finals, your team pretty much already has continuity, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
Dončić, Dante Exum, Maxi Kleber and Kessler Edwards all were out for the Mavericks, but Kidd said each of them is progressing well.
Roster watch: The Mavericks have 15 players with guaranteed contracts who will make up the final roster.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t decisions to be made, which is why the preseason has been anything but meaningless for players who are trying to earn jobs – either via a two-way contract or as Exhibit 10 players who could play in Frisco with the Texas Legends.
“When you talk about fighting for a roster spot, the 15 roster spots we have are all taken,” Kidd said before Thursday’s game. “So now it comes down to two-ways and if you look at it a little deeper, it’s E-10 signees that you can have for your G-League team.
“So there’s a lot at stake for those guys, who will play in the fourth quarter. But also, those guys have done their work and now it’s between management and their agents to try to figure that out.”
As it stands now, A.J. Lawson, Brandon Williams and Kessler Edwards have two-way deals, but that could change.
Jazian Gortman and Jamaraion Sharp both have had intriguing training camps and could be in line for a deal that would allow the Mavericks to retain their rights.
Getting in the groove: Rivers is starting his second season with the Bucks after taking over in the middle of last season. He said it was a difficult transition, to say the least.
“Yeah, I think it’s tougher for coaches midseason because it’s usually not your staff,” he said. “They (players) have already been taught how to play a certain way and if you want to come in different, there’s no practice time. Back in the day, we used to have what they actually call practice. Today it’s very difficult to have a practice.”
Kidd said he could appreciate the situation Rivers went through: “That’s tough. We talk about players with trades. But to be a coach, that’s hard. To have a summer and a training camp, he can get his system in and he’s one of the best coaches in this league. Milwaukee’s going to be one of the teams fighting for a championship this season.”
X: @ESefko
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