Amid falling shots, Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson relives ‘great moments’ online

BOSTON — Klay Thompson smiled when the Golden State Warriors guard learned he was shooting 10 for 33 in the NBA Finals.
“Thank you for reminding me of my delicious shooting percentage,” Thompson said Tuesday of his 30.3 percent effort so far.
Sometimes when Thompson is in a shooting rut, he reminisces about much better times, perhaps in hopes of rediscovering his shooting touch. Thompson said he goes on YouTube and occasionally watches some of his greatest hits, especially “Game 6 Klay.”
“That’s the beauty of playing in our time,” Thompson said. “You can go to YouTube and search for all your great moments.”
As he prepares for what he hopes will be a breakout shootout in Game 3 in Boston on Wednesday, Thompson was asked when he was last online watching himself splash at 3 points.
“I probably did it yesterday, actually,” he said Tuesday before the Warriors practice. “I remember being in college. When you’re going through a shooting slump, the guys in the video put on a great game where everything seemed in unison, your body was working so well, that ball was just flowing from the tip fingers.”
When asked what his standout video was when he needed inspiration, Thompson pointed to his famous playoff persona.
“My God, probably just YouTube ‘Game 6 Klay’,” Thompson said. “Because there were very pressured situations I was in. I ended up shooting the ball well. When you can do it when your back is against the wall, you can do it anytime. It’s It’s just about keeping that mind strong.”
The Warriors could use a “Game 6 Klay” cameo in Boston. With the series tied 1-1, Stephen Curry carried much of Golden State’s offensive load. He averages 31.5 points per game. The next Warrior to score is Andrew Wiggins with 15.5 ppg. Thompson is averaging 13.0 points but is coming off a Game 2 in which he shot 4 for 19 overall and just 1 for 8 of 3.
It’s a far cry from the Thompson who built a reputation for shining in Game 6 of the playoffs. He averaged 20.7 points and 4.2 3-pointers made in Game 6. But he scored 41 points and drilled 11 3-pointers in Game 6 against Oklahoma City in the 2016 Western Conference Finals and had some. had 30 against Toronto in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals before tearing his left ACL.
Thompson scored 30 points and punched eight triples in Game 6 of the second round of this postseason to eliminate Memphis. Over his last seven 6 games, Thompson has averaged 28.1 points and six 3-pointers.
Little did Curry know that Thompson would come back from time to time and watch his highlights of filming’s best days. Curry said “all the best do that.” But he also said Thompson never looked or acted like a struggling shooter when things didn’t go his way.
“History with him showed there is no predictor,” Curry said. “He can just go to another level. Regular season, playoffs, he always found a way to get going. Especially in the playoffs, just to have a strong impact. Usually it’s very strong.
“His demeanor never really changes… if you saw him now, you’d think he’s average 50 on this show. He just looks very confident about him. That’s the best thing about him.
“It’s all about the job you’re doing, it’s about the mindset. He doesn’t need teaching points on that. That’s why there’s so much confidence that at all moment, he can leave.”