MY ACCOUNT
Klay Thompson shot a season-best 33 points, marking a major milestone in his recovery from long-term injury, as the Golden State Warriors narrowly edged the Los Angeles Lakers 117-115 on Saturday.
Thompson has been slowly building up his game time since returning from consecutive ACL and Achilles injuries that left him on the shelf for two and a half years, and recently bumped it up to 30 minutes per game, which allowed him to top score against the Lakers.
The 32-year-old shot five-of-nine from beyond the arc, with Stephen Curry (24 points, five rebounds, eight assists) taking a backseat. LeBron James managed 26 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for the Lakers.
“After not feeling that feeling for a few years, don’t take a 30-ball lightly in this league,” Thompson said after the win at Chase Center.
“I know that is always in me, but these things happen naturally. If I can play to do that every fourth quarter, I would. It’s the flow of the game. Great things happen with time.
“It was really inspiring for myself. There were so many long days in this building, so many long days doing those tedious things. That is something that I wasn’t used to prior due to my ability to play nightly. Now that I am able to do that, it inspires me to keep going.
“I am not satisfied. It felt really freaking good, though.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr was effusive in his praise of Thompson after the victory that takes his team to 42-15 for the season.
“[He was] phenomenal,” Kerr said. “Just took one game at a time when we desperately needed him. With our offense kind of struggling to [find] a groove, and he got hot and took over the game.”
Curry – who uncharacteristically managed just one three-pointer from eight attempts on the night – was also impressed with Thompson’s efforts, saying: “It’s still early in his comeback, but every night is a step in the right direction. To have that energy, that confidence in himself, nothing else matters in that moment.”
