The Golden State Warriors are down but not out of their NBA Finals series against the Boston Celtics, per star guard Klay Thompson.
The Warriors lost 116-100 in Game 3 after a tough fourth quarter where they were outscored 23-11. But Thompson is very confident in his squad’s ability to bounce back.
“I know one thing, for sure,” Thompson said on Thursday prior to practice. “We respond like champions.”
Despite being behind 2-1, Thompson and the Warriors are displaying a firm “been here before” attitude, which of course they have, with this being the Warriors’ sixth trip to the finals in eight years.
“We’re not going to overreact,” Thompson said after Game 3 on Thursday. “We’ve been in this situation before. Getting big 2015 vibes.”
In 2015 the Warriors overcame a 2-1 deficit against the LeBron James-led Cavaliers, eventually winning the series 4-2 for their first title of this current dynastic run.
“Being down 2-1, and I mean, they play a similar style. You know, a lot of one-on-one, attacking downhill and spray the court with really good shooters. That’s very similar,” Thompson said. “And they have some very good players on their team obviously. I don’t think they have LeBron James, but they do have some All-NBA guys in Tatum. I think Brown is knocking on the door. With just being down 2-1 in a championship series, like we’ve been here before, we can rely on our experience.”
His running-mate, Stephen Curry, echoed that sentiment.
“It does help knowing that we’ve been through a little of everything the last eight years and can draw through that experience,” Curry said. “Obviously we still feel like we can win the series.”
Klay Thompson Not Happy With Performance so Far
Thompson had his best game of the series in Game 3, netting 25 points and providing some big 3-pointers. In the two games prior he had notched just 26 total points, so it was a step in the right direction. However, Thompson doesn’t care what the box score says if his team isn’t the one scoring the win.
“Didn’t go well enough because we lost. I much rather would have had the result of Game 2 and my performance, doesn’t matter how many shots you make, how efficient you are,” Thompson said. “Only thing that really matters is the outcome of the game. Although we let one slip away, we have a beautiful opportunity Friday to even out the series and do what we’re supposed to do, and that was get one on the road.”
With the Celtics swarming to Curry every time he gets an inch of breathing room, it’s on Thompson and the Warriors’ other shooters to step up when they see an opportunity. Thompson was 5-of-13 from deep in Game 3.
Klay Thompson Calls Out Boston Crowd for ‘F-Bombs’
Much has been made about the Boston crowd and their “F–k you Draymond” chants throughout the game. Green and others have spoken out over the situation and Thompson was not a fan either.
“We’ve played in front of rude people before. Dropping f-bombs with children in the crowd. Real classy,” Thompson said. “Good job, Boston.”
Boston guard Marcus Smart is no stranger to being targeted by hostile crowds and thinks the chants might have affected Green, who put up 2 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists before fouling out.
“I definitely think it may have affected Draymond in some way, but we all know Draymond feeds off that as well. It’s kind of hard to say how much of an effect it really had on him because he embraces that, that’s who he is,” Smart told reporters prior to Thursday’s practice. “He takes that on and he uses that to fuel him.”
Game 4 is scheduled for Friday at TD Garden. Boston is a four-point favorite for the matchup.
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Warriors Star Klay Thompson Sends Warning to Celtics After Loss