Klay Thompson is not having a good Conference Finals series against the Lakers. Through the first five games of the crossover, the guard is averaging 17.4 points on 38.8 percent from the field, and while he’s making 43.1 percent of his 3-pointers, his numbers are somewhat deceiving. And it’s that he had a stellar performance in Game 2 (8-11 from three), but it was completely wrong since then.
Between Games 3 and 5, Thompson is only average 11.3 points, 29.7% from the field and 33% from three. All about a team led by Steve Kerr who, apart from his win this Wednesday, continues to be on the wall, with 3-2 and must face a Game 6 in Los Angelesscheduled for this Friday, May 12th.
In the fifth, and beyond the all-time contribution of Stephen Curry, he had Golden State contributions that are unlikely to be repeated in consecutive matches: Draymond Green added his second-highest points (20) in the playoffs since 2018, while Andrew Wiggins He reached his cap of (25) in the 2023 postseason.
If any of these players have one reasonable recessionthe Warriors will need one Better Thompson production to go with Steph, against the tough defense of the Lakers. And it is there where his legend Game 6 Klay full of illusion to those of San Francisco. What exactly is this about? We remember it below.
The Birth of the Legend of “Game 6 Klay”
If we could find it birth of this extremely lethal and valuable character for the Warriorsyou should travel almost seven years back in time, on the evening of May 28, 2016. First, some context… Golden State had finished the Regular Season with nothing more and nothing less than that best record in franchise history, a 73-9 mark that broke Michael Jordan’s 1995-96 Chicago Bulls mark. After dispatching Houston and Portland 4-1, the Western Conference Finals they put forward to Oklahoma City Thunderwith Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as the main threats, as well as a team at a very high level of collective performance, which had Steven Adams, Serge Ibaka and Andre Roberson as perfect complements to solidify the foundation of a structure that seemed to have everything necessary to stop the seemingly unstoppable.
So is OKC went 3-1, stealing first in the Bay and crashing in Games 3 and 4, won by 28 and 24 points, respectively. Klay’s stuff, so far, has been well below what’s been common this season: 27.2 points and 47.5 percent 3-pointers on 9.9 attempts through the first two rounds, vs. 21 points and 32.4% 3-pointers on 8.5 attempts in the first four games of the series against the Thunder. With 27 from the guard in the G5, Golden State saved its first elimination opportunity at home. Although the trip to Oklahoma City seemed dangerous because of what had happened a few days before.
The specific is that in it The G6 OKC has almost everything rightdefending and invalidating the circuit of those of Kerr by his solid collective block and staying in advantage for almost the whole game (about 38 minutes checking the scoreboard). So is entered the fourth quarter with an eight-point lead. Plus, with just 5 minutes to go, the marker had it 96-89 for. But the one thing the Thunder couldn’t do was contain the Warriors’ silent killer.
Thompson was almost the main offensive argument to keep Golden State not only in the game, but in the final quarter. That 7-in-5-minute deficit was no bigger because Clay came up with 11 points. And then came a click: a great 3-pointer from in front of the basket for a 4-down, better overall defense, Steph Curry joining the party to tie the game at 99-99 with 2m48s left, and young Play triple 1m35s to break the tie, take the lead and never look back.
If it seems that the Clay’s last quarter was greatit’s because it really was: 19 points, 2 rebounds and a block, with a near-perfect 5-6 three-pointer. He just scored more points than all of OKC in that quarter that ended 33-18 in favor of Golden State. But it wasn’t just one issue from the last quarter: Thompson finished with 41 points (highest in the Playoffs), 4 rebounds and a beastly 11-18 3-pointer, making at the time the most conversions from distance in postseason history. The Warriors ended up winning 108-101, forcing a Game 7 where they would face it (96-88) to reach their second straight Finals thanks to a spectacular comeback (which they would later suffer against Cleveland).
that was it Klay Thompson’s second game facing a Game 6 suspension. The first of those was the final year before the Steve Kerr era began, in the 2014 first round against the Clippers. He added just 9 points in what was a triumph for the Warriors (although they would finish 7th). He wasn’t yet the Clay who later became a star of course. Neither was “Game 6 Klay” who was born in 2016 and had a few more chapters after this initial one.
Tonight’s #NBATogetherLive The Classic Game will appear @warriors / @okcthunder Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals (5/28/2016)!
We’re streaming it live and watching it together here @NBA at 8:00 PM/ET. pic.twitter.com/abio71rgud
—NBA (@NBA) May 28, 2020
2018 vs. Houston Rockets
The best Rockets of the D’Antoni era had put 3-2 in the Conference Finals, albeit at the high cost of losing Chris Paul to J5. In any case, Golden State had to start a comeback to get back to the Finals and have a chance to repeat the title of 2017. Kevin Durant was already on the team and Steph Curry was the same as always. But ‘Game 6 Klay’ stole the night.
Game leading scorer with 35 points, plus 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals, on another great 3-point night: 9-14 from distance4-5 in a third quarter (33-16) that began to neutralize what would be a 115-86 loss to force a seventh game where the Warriors would invade the Toyota Center to advance to the big definition heading into the third of the title in four years.
A season later, in 2019, the guard hit Houston again in a Game 6, though this time it wasn’t to keep a streak alive, but to end it: 27 points in a 118-113 (Shaw Curry with 33 points ) at home against the Rockets to set up a 4-2 Western Conference Finals that had been uphill due to an injury to Kevin Durant.
2019 vs. toronto raptors
The most painful of all 6 match appearances facing disqualification and beyond the result, but that also serves the value of “Game 6 Klay”. On June 13, the Warriors hosted the Toronto Raptors in Game 6 of the Finals after rescuing the J5 from Canada (106-105) despite the shock of losing Durant the same night he had returned. That J5 featured Thompson with 26 points and 7-13 3-pointersand many of the options to keep his team alive depended on her explosion.
Oracle Arena was the last night to host the Warriors (before moving to the Chase Center) and Clay showed his face before the possible ban until that action just over 2m20s from the end of the third quarter that stopped hearts in Oakland. The convoy dropped by much pain in left knee after being fouled by Danny Green on his dunk attempt. He would return minutes later to shoot the two free throws (and put them in), causing an explosion like few others in that stadium who knew big cheers. He even returned to his own side of the pitch to continue playing. But that was the end of it: he had made those shots from the line with torn ligaments in his knee.
closed that night with 30 points (4-6 doubles, 4-6 threes, 10-10 free throws), 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 32 minutes. During this time he achieved the best +/- of his team (+5). With those two freebies at the end, it left Golden State with a five-point lead (85-80). But the story is known: Toronto ended up taking advantage of the Warriors’ turnovers to win 114-110 and make it 4-2. which gave him the first title of his story.
2022 vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies was witnessed Game 6 Klay in 2022, with Thompson turning up at just the right time for Steve Kerr’s men. The escort did not come with a successful performance in that series, with an average 16.2 points, 38.1% from the field and 29.3% on 3-pointers through the first five games. However, a game 6 arrived…
30 points, 8 rebounds, 11-22 shooting and criminal 8-14 3-pointersdictating the pace at the start and nailing some daggers in the decisive section to condemn who was the 110-96 final that puts San Francisco in the West Finals for the first time since 2019the post-season injury.
30 points
8 three-pointersKlay Thompson 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2gyJIUHd5W
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 14, 2022
The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the NBA or its organizations.
