Getty Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson warms up prior to a bout with the Brooklyn Nets.
The Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Stephen Curry had been carving up the Boston Celtics defense after Game 4. Through the first four games of the Finals, Curry poured in 74 points on 49% shooting on threes. After his out-of-body experience performance in Game 4, it was not surprising to some that he finally fell back down to earth in Game 5.
Curry finished with 16 points, and a shocking 0-for-9 from downtown. It was the first playoff game in his entire career that he had failed to make a three-point shot. The streak snapped 233 consecutive games and 132 postseason games without a three-point conversion.
Dubs head coach Steve Kerr has been involved in the game for over four decades, so he knows a thing or two about the law of averages.
“I think Steph was probably due for a game like this,” Kerr admits after Game 5. “He’s been shooting the ball so well that, at some point, he was going to have a tough night. But we’ve got a lot of talent and a lot of depth that can make up for that, and the guys did a good job of that tonight.”
There’s a saying that role players step up and play well during home playoff games, and thankfully for Curry, his teammates picked him up. Andrew Wiggins continued his strong play with 26 points and 13 rebounds, while Klay Thompson hit five three-pointers on the way to 21 points.
Gary Payton II played huge in this game with 15 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Jordan Poole also stepped up with 14 points in 14 minutes, including this crucial bank shot at the end of the third quarter.
Jordan Poole with another long-distance buzzer-beater on ABC!
Klay Thompson Has a Few Choice Words for Boston
Klay Thompson is widely known to be a naturally funny guy in the league. Almost every one of his postgame conferences usually has some media members at least chuckling.
The postgame conference was no different. Thompson didn’t say anything that was stomach-hurting laughter, but it was subtle.
While talking about his defense this series, he would not give himself too much credit but said it would be all for not, if he didn’t play well in Game 6 back in Boston. He then threw an off-handed jab that probably won’t be welcomed with open arms back at TD Garden.
“I’m just excited to build on it, and wow, I’m just going to be—I’ve never been so excited to go to Boston, I’ll tell you that.”
“I’ve never been so excited to go to Boston.”
Will We See Game 6 Klay?
Only someone with that much confidence could throw a jab like that in the Finals, and hold himself accountable to perform well.
Could anyone blame him? Thompson has a long history of going off in Game 6s throughout his career. Just two rounds ago, he hit eight three-pointers in the game-clinching game against the Memphis Grizzles in Game 6. Or the 11 threes he hit against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of 2016, to temporarily save the Dubs 73-9 season.
During the beginning of the series when Thompson was struggling, he told reporters he would YouTube ‘Game 6 Klay’ to help him break out of his slump.
Well, Game 6 of the Finals is upon us, and the Dubs have the opportunity to take the title. It’s only a matter of time before we will bear witness to seeing if Game 6 Klay shows up to add to his prestigious resume.