Photo Credit: Mark D. Smith/USA Today Sports
While most of the regular season might have been about Steph Curry, the postseason is all about Klay Thompson. Thompson has arguably played the best out of the entire team. While Curry might be the most popular player on the team, Thompson will be who the Warriors will rely on if they want to win in game 7.
First, let’s take a look at Thompson’s stats for this series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Losses were actually some of the best ball that he played in the series. In their first loss, he completed nearly half of his field-goal attempts and finished with 25 points. However in their first win, his stats weren’t nearly as impressive; he only completed five of 17 field goals, two of eight three-point attempts and committed two turnovers, tying his total for their first loss. One of the most impressive games of the postseason for Thompson, not including last night, was their game 4 loss. He completed 9 of 17 field goal attempts, made four of 11 three-point attempts and sunk all of his free throw attempts while only playing 29 minutes, finishing with 26 points.
Obviously, game six is just a highlight reel for Thompson. He was the reason why the Warriors were able to climb out of the team’s early deficit. He made 11 three-point attempts, and NBA playoff game record, along with 41 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. Thompson is who the Warriors should be rallying around instead of putting all the pressure on Curry. Not that there’s anything wrong with rallying around Curry, but it’s clear that OKC’s suffocating defense on the reigning MVP is keeping him from carrying the team.
Thompson was also able to keep his composure during the game which was crucial. If Thompson wouldn’t have stayed so calm, the fourth-quarter comeback could have been nonexistent and their season could have ended. However, if the Warriors are able to keep their cool, reduce turnovers while capitalizing on OKC’s turnovers and letting Thompson do what he does best, they could be on their way to another NBA Championship series. If not, then they will become another statistic and show no matter how many wins you have, it doesn’t automatically guarantee a championship run.
