When we saw him show off his muscles after a foul basket, we said to ourselves that Klay Thompson was released. Freed from the weight of his clumsiness and inconsistency since the start of the season. Perhaps freed from the weight of this long-awaited contract extension. In any case, his 10 points in a row in 90 seconds put a blow behind the Clippers' lead in the last quarter.
“It feels so good…” recognizes the shooter, author of 22 points. “I feel like I have pressure at times, and I obviously want to make all my shots. I wish basketball was that easy. But I'm proud of myself, even when I was 2 out of 10 on shots or something like that, I didn't get discouraged. »
Indeed, the “Splash Brother” was 2 out of 10 at halftime, and we could already imagine him reliving an evening without it. But he saved the best for last, and his dynamism and enthusiasm were a pleasure to see.
“What I liked about Klay's game tonight was that he remained patient despite the missed shots”observes Steve Kerr. “He had a lot of open shots that he missed early in the game and he didn't put his head down, he kept his defensive energy. This is what we expect from him. »
Put into orbit by Jonathan Kuminga
What is also interesting is to see that Klay Thompson shone alongside the “second unit”, and the contribution of the bench was essential in the victory with 44 points. All the substitutes finished the match with a +/- equal to or greater than 12, and that says a lot about their impact in the Warriors' victory.
Witnessing the contribution of the bench, Draymond Green appreciated seeing that a player like Jonathan Kuminga looked for Klay Thompson when the latter was looking for confidence. “JK could have shot, he could have penetrated, but he gave it to Klay, and I told him: 'With that pass, you just gave Klay 10 points. No one is going to recognize it or celebrate it, but I do, because you allowed it to launch itself.' It was incredible! »
Beautiful tribute from Draymond Green to his young teammate, who has gained maturity. But Steve Kerr insists: the most important thing is that Klay Thompson regains confidence and feeling.
“This is the Klay we want to see for the rest of the season” warns the coach. “I had already found him very good in Sacramento. As long as he's patient, doesn't get upset and doesn't give up, he's a great player. »
| Klay Thompson | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2011-12 | GOS | 66 | 24 | 44.3 | 41.4 | 86.8 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 12.5 |
| 2012-13 | GOS | 82 | 36 | 42.2 | 40.1 | 84.1 | 0.4 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 16.6 |
| 2013-14 | GOS | 81 | 35 | 44.4 | 41.7 | 79.5 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 18.4 |
| 2014-15 | GOS | 77 | 32 | 46.3 | 43.9 | 87.9 | 0.4 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 21.7 |
| 2015-16 | GOS | 80 | 33 | 47.0 | 42.5 | 87.3 | 0.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 22.1 |
| 2016-17 | GOS | 78 | 34 | 46.8 | 41.4 | 85.3 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 22.3 |
| 2017-18 | GOS | 73 | 34 | 48.8 | 44.0 | 83.7 | 0.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 20.0 |
| 2018-19 | GOS | 78 | 34 | 46.7 | 40.2 | 81.6 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 21.5 |
| 2021-22 | GOS | 32 | 29 | 42.9 | 38.5 | 90.2 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 20.4 |
| 2022-23 | GOS | 69 | 33 | 43.6 | 41.2 | 87.9 | 0.6 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 21.9 |
| 2023-24 | GOS | 17 | 29 | 40.4 | 36.4 | 86.8 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 15.3 |
| Total | 733 | 33 | 45.4 | 41.5 | 85.2 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 19.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
