Golden State Warriors talisman Klay Thompson has made a steady return back to the game after a long hiatus of almost three years. Thompson was initially given 20 minutes by GSW head coach Steve Kerr in the first few matches but he has been able to hit the ground running.
The Saturday night match against Brooklyn Nets went down to the wire and it was Klay Thompson who took the winning shot with only 12 seconds remaining as the Golden State Warriors won by 110-106. Thompson converted the three-pointer to help his team get over the line against the Nets.
Thompson scored 16 points, six rebounds and two assists and played a key role in the team’s win.
“It felt amazing, it really did. I missed that feeling,” Thompson said. “It felt absolutely amazing.”
“I think I’m figuring out how to play well with these guys and vice versa,” Thompson said. “It’s hard to simulate that when you’re on the sideline watching.”
Kerr added that it is vital for Klay Thompson to perform in these big moments as he has been out for a long time.
“It’s important for Klay to feel those big moments. It’s been 2 ½ years,” coach Steve Kerr said.
On the other hand, Brooklyn Nets Steve Nash added that it is nice to have Kyrie Irving back in the team. Irving top-scored with 32 points for the team but his efforts went in vain.
“It’s great having him back. We’ve had so many injuries and interruptions this year, availability issues, to add a player his caliber, even if it’s just on the road has been much needed and been great for our group,” Nash said. “Fortunately, the reality of the last 18 months for us is that we’ve never had an extended run of health. So to have a player that plays on the road and at home is not that different than what we face week to week anyway.”
GSW will next face Houston Rockets on Monday night.