Klay Thompson’s best game since returning with 54 points: double-overtime win and game-winning shot against Atlanta Hawks

Recover the version that is closest to the best match level after passing any damage serious It is within the reach of a very select few. Perhaps the best example of this was Kevin Durant. Most mortals are content to return to the courts, continuing in the professional world, but what if that’s not enough? Clay Thompson He’s been through two of the sport’s most serious ailments, a ruptured Achilles tendon and a torn ACL in the knee, all in the space of a year and a half. his former star Golden State Warriors He returned almost 1,000 days after that and did so with a more than decent performance.

Now, a year after his return, the other splash brother shows that over time, He is able to reproduce in a certain way the level he was at before everything that happened.

And what better than home, without Stephen Curry and in full swing for the Warriors?

Clay Thompson He had his best night since returning to action in January 2022 vs. Atlanta Hawks in an unforgettable performance. With 54 points on 21-of-39 shooting from the field (53.8%), including a 10-for-21 streak from 3-point range (47.6%), in addition to 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

These were his best moments:

Golden State’s numbers went from less to more, peaking in the final quarter and two overtimes, where they marveled at key shots like this one:

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An aggressive display that won the Warriors to add their own fifth straight win (all without Steph) 143 to 141 against the aforementioned Hawks. A duel that was resolved in the last breath with a winning applause from Kevon Looney, the other hero of the match. This was the moment Golden State sealed the win:

So Klay Thompson outdid himself leading scorer since returning last yearwhich he set twice against the Pelicans and Rockets in March and April 2022 with 41 points, followed by 38 against the Bucks on March 12.

A remarkable fact about the accompaniment’s performance is that at 16 times throughout his career in which he has scored more than 40 goals the Warriors have won every game, 12 of them at home.

And it is that Steve Kerr’s men have always been on another level playing at home, but this season that has taken on a new dimension. With the win against the Hawks they add 18 wins out of a possible 20 (the best balance in the entire NBA), which contrasts with 3-16 outside of San Francisco (the worst).

This was a tough, complicated and very close duel, where the two contenders had different opportunities to seal the victory before or during the extra periods. Trae Young struggled against the Warriors’ defense, holding him to 30 points on 8-of-22 shooting (36.4%), with Dejude Murray (25 points) and Joe Collins (25) being his mainstays.

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