Klay Thompson looked like the Klay of old on Monday night. The Golden State Warriors shooting guard poured in 54 points and provided the scoring punch they needed to survive a double-overtime scare against the Atlanta Hawks.
Just as Klay has always operated, he didn't force his baskets and got his points within the flow of the game. Thompson spoke out on his mentality and letting the game come to him – which just so happened to yield his second-highest scoring output for his career.
“I don't go into halftime thinking, ‘I must get 50 tonight.' I just go out there and play my game,” said Klay Thompson after the win.
Klay Thompson said he talked to Dominique Wilkins pregame, mentioned that Dominique’s return from an Achilles tear decades ago has been an inspiration to him. Called his own 54-point night a huge accomplishment in his comeback. pic.twitter.com/pjLae6OpTS
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 3, 2023
What wasn't lost on Thompson was how much this mattered in terms of his recovery from his major injuries. One of his biggest inspirations, Hawks icon Dominique Wilkins, was also in the building. The two had a moment prior to the game bonding on their shared experience before Thompson showed Nique just how recovered and inspired he was with his play on the court.
“It's a huge accomplishment for myself. Absolutely big,” Klay Thompson continued. “Just seeing Dominique Wilkins before the game, talking to him, telling him how much of an inspiration he was to me coming back from an Achilles [tear] to average in the high 20s after a decade of playing. That inspired me to be myself.
“There were some hard days for me when I didn't know this would be possible. To live it real-time, I'm just going to embrace the heck out of it.”
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