Not only did Klay Thompson erupt for 35 points coming off the bench in the Warriors’ 140-137 win over the Utah Jazz on Thursday, but the veteran guard also predicted his big night in advance.
In a conversation with TNT’s "Inside the NBA" crew during All-Star Weekend on Saturday, Warriors forward Draymond Green revealed what Thompson, who came off the bench for the first time since his 2012 rookie season against the Jazz, shared with him ahead of Golden State’s game at Delta Center.
“It’s great to see Klay come off the bench and have a game like that,” Green said. “He told me before the game, he said, ‘Dray, I got the clip loaded. I’m letting you know now.’ And to see him go play like that was huge.”
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Thompson had the clip loaded indeed.
Not named to the Warriors’ starting lineup for the first time in 12 years – 727 consecutive regular-season games – the 34-year-old played with the purpose to make a statement, netting seven 3-pointers in what was, undoubtedly, his best game of the season.
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Thompson’s statement performance against the Jazz came a night after his sluggish showing against the Los Angeles Clippers, where he finished with 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting and 1 of 9 from 3-point range in 30 minutes of play.
Thompson is averaging 17.3 points, his lowest total since his 2012-13 campaign, 2.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 30.6 minutes over 50 games this season.
The new Thompson era in the Bay is off to a hot start, making it nearly indistinguishable from the highs of the past.