Sports
Klay Thompson returned to the Bay, but Stephen Curry had the last splash
SAN FRANCISCO — It was rather early for his “Night, Night” celebration, the move Steph Curry does to declare a victory secured.
“I almost pulled a Si Woo Kim,” Curry said of the golfer who in September did the Golden State Warriors star’s signature after a clutch chip-in on hole No. 16 before eventually losing the Presidents Cup on hole No. 18.
“But thankfully, we were able to finish it. … Yeah, a little premature.”
Up four with 26.4 seconds remaining, after hitting Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II with a couple of crossovers before drilling a 3-pointer from the top, Curry’s international trademark appeared organically. Emotion made it hard to prioritize score and clock. The adrenaline and testosterone, the euphoria of supremacy, rendered win probability secondary.
A moment had been orchestrated. A message had been enunciated. It had to be punctuated.
So Curry roared at the raucous Chase Center crowd, thunderous enough this night to evoke memories of Oracle Arena. He tugged at the Golden State across his jersey and pounded his chest with a fist. Then he turned to the cameras, and into the eyes of millions, and let his competitive arrogance speak to anyone else who’d dare leave his side for greener pastures.
“You better stay here!” Curry yelled, emphasizing location with a double point to the hardwood on which he stood. “You better stay here!”
💥 STEPHEN CURRY 💥
NIGHT NIGHT 😴 pic.twitter.com/SZtkcgORWi
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 13, 2024
Tuesday night’s NBA Cup opener was all about Klay Thompson and the affinity he’s garnered from Warriors world.
Hundreds of Golden State employees lined his walkway into the arena. Thousands of fans donned a white sailor’s cap in his honor. After a one-minute tribute video, Thompson basked in a minute-long ovation featuring enough sentiment to crumble his facade of indifference.
As he’d done so many times before, Thompson sent a wave of chills through the arena. A Bay Area legend was back. A beloved cohort of a dynasty was home.
This night began as a ballad to Captain Klay. It ended with a reminder it was Curry’s ship.
“Yeah,” Thompson said after the game, “it hurts to be on the other side of one of his flurries. The guy got hot at the end and made some ridiculous shots. Being on the other end, it sucks.”
On the floor with at least five future Hall of Famers, Curry was the best player when it mattered most. Four months before he turns 37.
Down 114-108 with just over three minutes remaining, Curry ran off 10 straight points. Neither Luka Dončić nor Kyrie Irving nor Klay Thompson could answer Curry. He scored 12 points in the final 3:10.
He finished with a game-high 37 points — to go with his 9 assists and 6 rebounds — as the Warriors improved to 9-2 with a 120-117 win. Two nights after closing out Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Oklahoma City, and Jayson Tatum in Boston before that, Curry again declared his eliteness.
Undoubtedly, he wanted his Splash Brother to hear him loudest. A mindset that honors their relationship, considering they are bonded by their competitive spirits as much as their shooting prowess.
Curry was determined not to give Thompson the satisfaction of victory. The overflow of admiration was enough. Curry stayed in the tunnel during the playing of the tribute video, dodging the emotion he was sure to feel. Likewise, Draymond Green got the video delivered to him early so he could watch it and get the feels out of the way. Curry didn’t even talk to Thompson until a pregame hug right before tipoff.
On the first play of the game, Thompson took Curry into the post, endeavoring to use his height advantage over the point guard. He drew a foul on Curry, who was aggressive and physical because, as Green said, he wanted to take the ball from Klay.
“I blacked out on that one,” Curry said. “I wasn’t going to let him score and I fouled him.”
He got the steal the next time Thompson posted him, stripping him under the basket. A third time, Curry forced Thompson into a bad shot.
This is gonna take some getting used to 😳 pic.twitter.com/95RPyz4HAJ
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 13, 2024
When Curry dropped in a floater in the second quarter, drawing the foul on Thompson in the process, he shot a taunting stare at his former backcourt mate.
“I knew he’d come in ready to go,” Green said. “But when you see him express that type of emotion, everybody else just falls in line. I try to lead in that category. When he’s up, I move to the side, let him do his thing and be his support. He was absolutely incredible tonight, and I knew he’d be locked in from the get-go.”
Coincidentally, in denying Klay, Curry underscored that he doesn’t have (a) Klay.
Golden State outscored Dallas by 24 points in Curry’s 35 minutes. In the 13 minutes he sat, the Mavericks outscored the hosts by 21 points.
The Warriors find themselves on this promising start because of their depth. But the league’s highest-scoring bench — which still outscored Dallas’ bench, 42-22 — struggled to score when Curry sat. And with Green and Andrew Wiggins mostly resting with him, the Warriors’ bench was overwhelmed by the dynamism of Dončić and Irving. And Klay.
Jonathan Kuminga, who finished with 16 points, is the best bench option to be an offensive anchor, but his opportunities are limited by minutes and sometimes lineups. Buddy Hield, who is featured offensively, was effective inside the arc but is not as potent when he’s not raining 3s. The Replacement Splash Brother has been revelatory this season but was 2-for-8 in the matchup against his predecessor, and the Warriors’ offense suffered.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks could stagger their stars and keep a threat on the court. And Thompson gives them a potent third option when he’s on. And Tuesday he was on, to the tune of 6-for-12 from 3 and 22 points. He came into the game having made 2 of 13 the previous two games.
He scored eight points in the fourth quarter, including two open 3s in front of the Warriors’ bench. The first was over a closeout from Curry, who sagged off Thompson too far. The second put the Mavericks ahead 110-105 with 5:17 remaining. And it unleashed the verbal and physical banter on his former shipmates.
𝑺𝑷𝑳𝑨𝑺𝑯 💦 pic.twitter.com/JG6NB3p1IJ
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) November 13, 2024
“He did a little terrible shimmy,” Green said. “It was awful.”
“He knows better than that,” Curry said.
Certainly, Curry knew he’d hear it from his fellow dynasty engineer if Thompson came home and got the dub against the Dubs. Watching Thompson stunt on them was even more motivation. The reigning Western Conference champions would now have to deal with Commodore Curry.
Ahead a point, just over 30 seconds remaining, Curry jogged up court as the tension crescendoed. He burned away precious seconds with a string of between-the-leg dribbles, waiting for the perfect time to attack. One screen got Dončić switched onto Curry. Then a second screen put Lively in his sights. Curry found his prey.
He pounded two dribbles while hopping right, setting up a sudden crossover left, getting Lively’s momentum going in that direction. Then Curry yanked a crossover back to his right, lining himself up for a dead-on 3-pointer from the top.
This splash was for Klay.
“That’s my guy, my friend, my road dog for 13 years,” Curry said. “There’s a lot of history, so you’re going to have a lot of back and forth. Some of it was competitive, some of it was fun. … It was an unreal night, for sure, all the way around.”
Almost immediately after his postgame interview, Thompson was back in his old confines. Fully dressed, wearing his captain’s hat, he hung out in the weight room and practice court he once roamed. Spending time with players and coaches and trainers on his former team. The rivalry had morphed back into brotherhood.
GO DEEPER
Amick: Thompson wanted low-key Warriors homecoming, but warm embrace could help heal wounds
(Photo of Stephen Curry celebrating his game-icing 3-pointer Tuesday night: Noah Graham / NBAE via Getty Images)
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Tiger Woods was released from jail Friday night after he was arrested earlier in the day on a DUI charge following a car crash in Florida.
In a mugshot released hours after his arrest, Woods’ eyes appeared bloodshot, as he donned a blue polo inside the Martin County Jail in Florida.
Woods was seen leaving the jail in the passenger seat of a black SUV after his release on bail late Friday, according to The Associated Press.
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek confirmed in a news conference that Woods was traveling at “a high rate of speed” when his vehicle collided with another car, resulting in his vehicle rolling over onto the driver’s side.
Tiger Woods was booked into Martin County, Florida, jail on March 27, 2026. (AP)
Authorities said Woods “exemplified signs of impairment.” He blew “triple-zeroes” for alcohol but refused a urine test.
“DUI investigators came to the scene here, and Mr. Woods did exemplify signs of impairment. They did several tests on him. Of course, he did explain the injuries and the surgeries that he had. We did take that into account, but they did do some in-depth roadside tests,” Budensiek added.
“We really weren’t suspicious of alcohol being involved in this case, and that proved to be true at the jail. … But when it came time for us to ask for a urinalysis test, he refused. And, so, he’s been charged with DUI, with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.”
Woods was spotted on the phone after the crash, wearing navy blue shorts.
Woods was charged with DUI, property damage and refusal to submit to a test, all misdemeanor charges. No one was injured, authorities said. Woods was alone in the car and crawled out of the passenger door after the crash.
Tiger Woods was driven from the Martin County Jail after being arrested for driving under the influence following a car crash on March 27, 2026, in Stuart, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
VANESSA, KAI TRUMP TAKE IN TIGER WOODS’ RETURN TO GOLF AT TGL FINALS
“This could’ve been a lot worse,” Budensiek noted.
President Donald Trump commented on the arrest of his “very close friend.”
“I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty,” Trump said. “There was an accident, and that’s all I know. Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person, an amazing man, but some difficulty.”
Woods has not commented on the arrest.
Tiger Woods was arrested on a DUI charge after getting into a car crash on Friday. (Associated Press)
Woods currently is dating Trump’s ex-daughter-in-law, Vanessa, whose daughter, Kai, is set to play college golf in Miami next week.
This is Woods’ second DUI arrest within the last decade. In 2017, he was taken into custody, also in Jupiter Island, after taking prescription drugs and being asleep behind the wheel of a running car at 3 a.m.
In 2021, he got into a wreck that resulted in serious leg injuries that kept him off the golf course for the entire year.
Golfer Tiger Woods stands by his overturned vehicle in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Jason Oteri/AP)
Woods made his return to competitive golf earlier this week in the TGL championship after rupturing his Achilles just before last year’s Masters (this year’s tournament is in less than two weeks). Woods has not appeared on the links since the 2024 PGA Championship, in which he missed the cut.
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For the second time in less than a week, Luka Doncic faces a one-game suspension because of technical foul accumulation.
Only a week after Doncic’s 16th technical foul was rescinded by the NBA, the Lakers superstar picked up another one in a 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday and is in line to miss the Lakers’ next game against the Washington Wizards on Monday.
In the third quarter with the Lakers trailing by one against the lowly Nets (17-57), Doncic was called for an offensive foul against Nic Claxton as the Lakers (48-26) were trying to inbound the ball after a dunk by Ziaire Williams. After the Lakers turnover, Williams and Doncic appeared to exchange words with Doncic pushing Williams aside with one hand. Williams then flailed his arms behind him and slapped Doncic in the throat.
“He was yelling in my face three times,” said Doncic, who finished with 41 points, eight rebounds and three assists in the win. “I just wanted to get out of there. … I didn’t even talk. I just wanted to get out of there. And they said I pushed. My push was exaggerated, which was obviously not [the case].”
Both were assessed technical fouls with 5:12 remaining in the third quarter, and Williams’ hit was reviewed for a possible flagrant, although it was not upgraded.
The NBA requires players to sit out for one game without pay after their 16th technical foul of the season. But Doncic avoided that fate after the NBA rescinded the foul that would have forced him to the bench for a critical road game last week. Lakers coach JJ Redick said the Lakers will try to appeal Doncic’s latest foul but he did not see what happened on the play.
Last week, Doncic avoided a suspension after the NBA rescinded the foul that would have forced him to the bench for a critical road game against the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons. Doncic is slated to miss Monday’s game against the Wizards, who have lost 17 of their last 18 games and have the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference (17-56).
Lakers star Luka Doncic reacts to a referee’s call during the second half Friday against the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Doncic picked up his first 16th technical foul last week against the Orlando Magic after getting into an argument with Orlando forward Goga Bitadze. Doncic claimed Bitadze directed a vulgar comment about Doncic’s family in Serbian toward the Lakers star guard. Bitadze refuted the story, saying it was actually Doncic who said the curse word out loud first and that he was only repeating what he heard.
The NBA rescinded both fouls upon review the following day.
Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer, has scored 30 points or more in 12 consecutive games, the longest such streak in his career. He has 43 30-point games this season, tying Elgin Baylor and Jerry West for sixth-most in a season by a Lakers player. He has scored 40 points or more in the last 12 games.
Against the Nets, Austin Reaves finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists and LeBron James had 14 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Before the game, Redick said the Nets game would be like playing on the road since the Lakers had spent almost two weeks away from Crypto.com Arena and had returned home in the wee hours of Thursday morning from Indianapolis.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves celebrates after shooting a three-pointer against the Nets in the second half Friday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The challenge was to find the energy to play, which wasn’t a problem for Doncic, who had 24 points in the first half. Doncic was nine for 15 from the field in the first half and four for six from three-point range in 20 minutes. He finished shooting 15 for 25 from the field as the Lakers shot 54% from the floor. They shot 44% (11 for 25) from three-point range.
That the Lakers were facing a Nets team with the second-worst record in the NBA didn’t matter.
That the Lakers were facing a Nets team had lost nine of its last 10 games didn’t matter.
That the Lakers were facing a Nets team that’s last in the league in scoring (106.3 points per game) didn’t matter.
Lakers center Deandre Ayton, left, blocks a shot by Brooklyn Nets guard Nolan Traore in the first half Friday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
What mattered to the Lakers was finding a way to win as the regular season winds down.
“I felt like we were a step slow,” Redick said. “And I told the guys at halftime, ‘This is our seventh game of the road trip. Anytime you come back, there’s a day in between, that’s just you’re in another city until you can get adjusted to the time zone and you get a couple days break.’ So the next two [off] days will be good for us.”
Notes: Lakers broadcast analyst Stu Lantz missed Friday night’s game against the Nets because of health issues. Derek Fisher, who won five NBA titles with the Lakers, took over Lantz’s role for the game. Public address announcer Lawrence Tanter also missed the game because of a health matter. Jason Barquero filled in for Lantz. “The entire Lakers organization is wishing Lawrence all the best in his recovery, and we look forward to welcoming him back soon,” the team said in a statement.
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Tiger Woods was involved in a car crash on Jupiter Island in Florida on Friday, according to multiple reports.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office told ESPN that the crash happened on Jupiter Island. Woods’ condition was not immediately known.
Woods competed in the TGL championship earlier this week with his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, and her daughter, Kai, in the stands. It was his return to competitive golf after rupturing his Achilles last year, just ahead of the Masters.
Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links Golf Club looks on before the match against the Los Angeles Golf Club at SoFi Center on March 23, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Adam Glanzman/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images)
The 15-time major winner, five of which have come at Augusta, was noncommittal about playing at this year’s Masters. President Donald Trump said on “The Five” on Thursday that he would be at Augusta but not play.
Woods has had trouble behind the wheel in the past. In 2021, he got into a wreck that resulted in serious leg injuries that kept him off the golf course for months.
This is a breaking story. Check back for more updates.
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