Golden State Warriors legend Klay Thompson came off the bench last night (2/15) against the Utah Jazz for the first time since 2012 and the future Hall of Famer had his best game of the season.
Thompson put up 35 points in 28 minutes while shooting 13-of-22 from the field and 7-of-13 from beyond the arc.
“I thought about Manu Ginobili,” Thompson said after the Warriors beat the Jazz. “That guy has four rings and a gold medal and he came off the bench his whole career. And I don’t think anyone looks down on his Hall of Fame candidacy because he’s one of the greats. I embraced it before tip.”
Thompson wasn’t thrilled when Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told him he would come off the bench, but the four-time champion didn’t pout.
“You can do two things: You can pout or you can go out there and respond,” Thompson said. “I thought I did the latter very well tonight.”
Thompson becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. He’s averaging 17.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists this season while shooting 42.1% from the field, 37.3% from 3 and 91.8% from the free-throw line.
“Coming off the bench gave me fresh legs, especially on a back-to-back,” Thompson said. “That was nice to come in with a fresh, clean slate.”
The Warriors are 27-26 on the season. They are in 10th place in the West. For the Dubs to go on a run in the second half of the season, Thompson has to play like he did against the Jazz.
“The fuel that fed his competitiveness was the decision that I made,” Kerr said. “He’s such a competitor. I’ve seen him hit a million big shots. I’ve seen him guard the toughest guys in the league. Klay’s a champion. He’s an incredible player, great person. I’ve been blessed to coach him.”
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