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Kendra AndrewsESPN
SAN FRANCISCO — Before the Golden State Warriors warned against Atlanta Hawks Monday evening, Thompson clay had a conversation with Dominique Wilkin. They discussed how Wilkins’ return from a torn Achilles tendon decades ago made him an inspiration to Thompson as the Warriors guard went on a similar journey.
Thompson spent the first part of the season looking for the 2019 version of himself, before tearing an ACL in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, only to suffer an Achilles tendon injury just before the start of the 2020-21 season.
His 54 points on 21 of 39 shooting – including 10 of 21 on 3 – in the Warriors 143-141 win in double overtime was as close as it got, he said.
“It’s a huge accomplishment for me,” Thompson said. “There were some tough days for me where I didn’t know it would be possible in real time. I’m just going to embrace it wholeheartedly.”
His 54 points Monday night were the highest since his career-best 60-point outing in three quarters on Dec. 21. 5, 2016, against Indiana Pacers. It was Thompson’s fourth career 50-point game and seventh with at least 10 3s.
“He was successful shot after shot and played after game. It was unbelievable,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said.
While Thompson went through streaks of poor shooting performance, the Warriors’ backline encouraged him not to force his game and play into the mainstream of the offense.
Teammate Draymond Green told him, “You don’t have to be the same Clay you were before. When you understand this and buy into it, then you become the Clay you were before.”
“When you’re as competitive as him, when you’re as good as him, sometimes it’s tough,” Green said. “For two years, everyone doubted you. That same fire towards that doubt is what made you Klay Thompson…you don’t just lose that. It’s ingrained in you. It’s good to see it grow.” He doesn’t chase anymore, and it falls to his knees. When you’re this good, that’s usually what happens.
Thompson said he felt more relaxed than he did at the start of the season. In late October, his eagerness to get back on the court and prove naysayers wrong did him a disservice, he said.
Now he is playing with a different message in his head: “I have to remind myself daily that [playing for the Warriors] is literally the dream. What matters most is having fun and playing hard. All the numbers, all the big nights will come as long as I do those two things.
Thompson has been giving himself these pep talks for a while now. And with the Warriors roster exhausted – including the missing Stephen Curry and Andre Wiggins indefinitely – it’s even more important for Thompson to listen to himself.
The Warriors were with just nine active players against the Hawks. The second unit consisted of a sophomore, a rookie, and a pair of two-way players.
The fatigue was evident. Golden State lost a 21-point lead and missed big chances in both overtime periods.
At any other time this season, the Warriors might well have dropped this game. They lost their only other game in overtime to the Charlotte Hornets in their second road contest of the season. Thompson missed a potential spot kick at the Orlando Magic a few days later. And the Warriors dropped a heartbreaker at the Utah Jazz early December. Green went up call his fragile team.
“Since I said that, we’ve been building an MO, which is gritty,” Green said. “No matter the situation, we’re a team that’s going to keep fighting. I don’t think this team has been building an identity all year, and we’re starting to build one. It’s coming at a good time.”
Against the Hawks, Golden State guard Do diVincenzo clawed back a crucial offensive rebound, then knocked down a 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left in regulation time to send the game into overtime, past Thompson and Jordan Poole had each missed from afar during the same streak.
Even with all of the Warriors’ big shots in stride — including a 3-pointer from Green — Golden State had an unlikely hero, like Kevon Looney He tipped the winner on his own offensive rebound as the final buzzer sounded in the second overtime after missing moments before.
“The first one, I rushed it really quickly, and I just realized nobody was freaking out or celebrating,” Looney said of his failed first attempt. “I knew I had time to come back up.”
Looney had a career-high 20 rebounds (10 offensive) to go with 14 points and five assists.
“Everyone dreams of winning a game, so every chance you get…it’s a big moment,” Looney said. “Especially in a double overtime game where everyone was exhausted.”
Thanks to Looney, the defending NBA champions, under-equipped, rode their best winning streak of the season to five games. They also posted six straight wins at home.
The Warriors had four players who logged at least 44 minutes on Monday. Thompson played a game-high and season-high 46 minutes.
“My tank is on E,” Thompson said afterwards during his on-court interview with NBC Sports Bay Area. Thank goodness for Kevon Looney, man.
Earlier this season, Thompson was on a tight minute restriction after not being allowed to play live-action matches in training camp and sitting out preseason games. He still hasn’t been cleared to play for either side in back-to-back matches.
“I couldn’t have done it a few months ago, so this is a big step for me,” Thompson said. “It’s a big confidence booster, individually. We’re almost approaching the halfway point. It’s great to feel that I’m improving with every game. I know I’ll be more consistent as the season progresses… after 30 games under my belt, I feel wonderful.”
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