Klay Thompson knows what's expected of him on Thursday night against the Boston Celtics. Instead of intentionally indulging his ever-iconic penchant for massive Game 6 performances, though, the Golden State Warriors star will be far more focused on helping his team achieve its ultimate goal.
“I would like to have a big night and win the game, but it doesn't matter what any of us do individually,” Thompson said on Wednesday. “The main goal is just to win one game. I don't wanna put any extra pressure on myself to live up to my name. I just want to go out there, play free and trust my teammates.”
Thompson has bounced back from a poor start against the Boston Celtics to emerge as a crucial two-way cog for the Warriors as they've wrested control of the NBA Finals. He's averaging 21.7 points over the last three games and has combined for 14 made triples, shaking off early shooting struggles versus the best defense in basketball. Thompson's play has improved significantly on the other end, too, where he's been able to consistently keep Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum from creasing the paint in isolation.
Momentum is trending in Thompson's direction at exactly the right time, basically, and history indicates he'll thrive under the added pressure that accompanies every Game 6. Still, his coaches and teammates aren't the ones anticipating another huge night from Thompson.
“I don't really know what to make of it. Nor do I even take the time to think about it because it has nothing to do with us, nothing to do with strategy,” Steve Kerr said of Thompson's Game 6 success. “It just has to do with Klay. He's got a killer instinct and he's really talented. I don't even give it a thought.”
Even Stephen Curry, the only player in league history who's a definitively superior shooter, can't quite pinpoint what makes his fellow Splash Brother reach new heights in Game 6.
“Game 6 Klay, I don't know how he's been able to do it. Just his personality, no moment is too big for him,” Curry said. “He has a knack for those type of big moments. They just happen to be Game 6, and he has another opportunity to add to that tale tomorrow.”
Thompson's most memorable and impactful Game 6 came in 2016, when the Warriors were down 3-2 in the Western Conference Finals to Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder. He responded in front of a hostile road crowd with a playoff-record 11 three-pointers and 41 points, including five triples and 19 points in the fourth quarter alone, willing Golden State to a season-saving, and ultimately league-changing, victory.
“Game 6” Klay made his most recent appearance in the second round of these playoffs, when the Warriors closed out the Memphis Grizzlies. He dropped 30 points and eight threes against Memphis, exploding in the second half to put the Grizzlies' dreams of forcing a do-or-die Game 7 to rest.
Is Thompson up for another epic performance in perhaps the most important Game 6 of his career? Maybe. Just don't expect him to come out of the gate manifesting it by forcing jumper after jumper, searching for the hot hand.
Team success is what matters most to Thompson, after all, and the Warriors are just one win away from an accomplishment that looms far larger in historical annals than any individual one—even those reserved for “Game 6” Klay.
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