The Dallas Mavericks picked up their first win of the season on Thursday night, beating their rival San Antonio Spurs 120-109. The offense started sloppily, but picked up steam in the second half on a flurry of 3-pointers from Klay Thompson, who set a franchise record for most 3-pointers in a debut.

It’s still early in the season, but starting with a win is always nice. It is the first time that the team plays together at (actually) full strength, as Luka Doncic and Maxi Kleber did not play at all in the preseason. Some of that rust showed early, but they overcame it and put on a show.

Here are three takeaways from Thursday night’s win over San Antonio.

READ MORE: Klay Thompson makes history in Mavericks debut

Luka Doncic didn’t play well, shooting just 9/25 from the floor and turning it over four times. He also had 28 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, getting wherever he wanted on the floor. He was clearly trying to get his legs back under him after missing the entire preseason. With Klay Thompson’s spacing, this offense could be difficult to guard with Doncic at the helm.

Remember when NBA fans overreacted to Thompson’s struggles in last year’s Play-In Game and this year’s preseason, saying he was washed? About that. All Thompson did in his debut was score 22 points, shoot 6/10 from three-point range and grab seven rebounds. Oh, and three steals to silence the defense critics. Those six three-pointers were the most by a Maverick in their debut ever. Not too shabby.

Dereck Lively didn’t even start for the Mavs on Thursday night and still had his first career 15/10/5 game: 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, tying a career assist record. While his defensive stats aren’t brash, his impact was as he continually converted shots at the rim. Their center rotation of Lively and Daniel Gafford will be one of the best in the NBA if they stay healthy.

READ MORE: Mavericks use dominant second half to beat Spurs in season opener

Keep up MavericksGameday for more FREE coverage of the Dallas Mavericks during the 2024-2025 season

Follow MavericksGameday on Tweet and Austin Veazey Tweet