Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson is trying to focus on the task at hand: winning his fourth NBA title. Three years removed from his torn ACL, and nearly two years removed from his torn Achilles, the five-time Golden State All-Star is prioritizing the present, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. The Warriors currently hold a 3-2 advantage against the Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals, which will resume Thursday.
“I never had such a severe injury, so I didn’t think it was that serious,” Thompson said of the ACL tear. “I thought I might have sprained something in my knee.” Thompson also noted that he generally does not dwell on the injury now: “I just want to frigging win.”
Across 21 games during this postseason run, Thompson is averaging 19.4 PPG on .440/.391/.867 shooting splits, along with 3.9 RPG, 2.3 APG and 1.0 SPG. Though he has not consistently looked like the perimeter defender he was in his prime, he has had standout moments of efficacy on that end while defending Boston guard Jaylen Brown.
There’s more out of Golden State:
- Following a career night in Game 5, the Warriors are commending the fit of small forward Andrew Wiggins, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Wiggins scored 26 points while shooting 12-of-23 from the floor, pulled down 13 boards, and chipped in two assists, two steals and a block in a pivotal 104-94 Game 5 win. “We knew we needed his athleticism and defense and his versatility,” Golden State head coach Steve Kerr raved. “We had no idea that he would make this kind of contribution.” All-Star teammate Draymond Green also focused on how Wiggins, as a big forward with two-way ability and excellent athleticism as a finisher, found a way to slot in with the rest of the roster. “We looked at the trade [to acquire Wiggins in 2020 from the Timberwolves] like that is a guy who can fit next to a healthy group absolutely well,” Green said. “He’s continued to show that. He’s continued to get better. He’s taken on every challenge that we have thrown in front of him.”
- Tim Kawakami of The Athletic reflects that Wiggins seems to be finally realizing his promise in the biggest possible moment for his club.
- Warriors All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry had a low-scoring game by his lofty standards during the team’s Game 5 win over the Celtics, though he still was a key element of the offense in drawing plenty of defensive attention away from his teammates. Curry scored 16 points on 7-of-22 shooting form the floor, including a stunning 0-for-9 from deep. This marked the first time in 233 straight contests that he failed to connect from deep. Accordingly, Golden State anticipates that Curry will respond in a big way when the battle is joined again on Thursday for Game 6, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “He’s going to be livid going into Game 6, and that’s exactly what we need,” Draymond Green said.
- Coming off his best performance in the Finals thus far, Warriors reserve guard Gary Payton II is looking to build on that with some championship hardware, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. In 26 minutes of action during Game 5, Payton tied a personal career-best in postseason points scored, notching 15 points while converting 6-of-8 from the floor. He also pulled down five rebounds and picked off three steals. After going undrafted out of Oregon State in 2016, Payton played for five NBAGL clubs and bounced around limited stints with the Bucks, Lakers, Wizards, and Warriors. This season, after some uncertainty about his roster status, the 2022 free agent eventually blossomed into a permanent part of the Golden State rotation.
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