Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson came off the bench for the first time since his rookie season to knock down seven 3-pointers and score a season-high 35 points in Thursday night’s 140-137 win over the Utah Jazz.
Thompson was a reserve for the first time since March 11, 2012. Rookie guard Brandin Podziemski replaced him in the starting lineup and finished with 13 points, eight assists, and six rebounds.
“You can do two things: You can pout or you can go out there and respond,” said Thompson, after he became the sixth Warriors player to reach 15,000 career points. “I thought I did the latter very well tonight.”
Klay Thompson, who earlier tonight became the sixth player in Warriors history to score at least 15,000 career points, has a season-high 35 points (13-of-18 FG, 7-of-11 3FG) in 18 minutes.
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) February 16, 2024
Thompson, 34, also finished his outing with six rebounds and two assists while shooting 13-of-22 (59.1%) from the field and 7-of-13 (53.8%) from 3-point range in 29 minutes as a reserve.
Additionally, the five-time All-Star trails five Golden State players on the franchise’s all-time scoring list — Stephen Curry (23,113), Wilt Chamberlain (17,783), Rick Barry (16,447), Paul Arizin (16,266), and Chris Mullin (16,235).
His 35-point game was the first for a Warriors player in the second unit since Ian Clark in 2017 against the San Antonio Spurs, according to the Basketball-Reference database.
Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson had started 727 straight games, the fourth-longest active streak
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Thompson had started 727 straight games, the fourth-longest active streak in the NBA, trailing only DeMar DeRozan, Damian Lillard, and Curry.
More importantly, dropping Thompson from the starting lineup was not a move that Warriors coach Steve Kerr wanted to make. Kerr, who earned his 500th victory as Golden State’s coach, believed the decision motivated Thompson.
“It’s been a tricky season for him and for us,” Kerr said. “It’s not as easy to do what Klay did five or six years ago for him. I think this could be a good balance to get the best out of Klay and to get the best out of our team.”
Klay Thompson came off the bench and made a big-time impact tonight 🔥
35 PTS | 6 REB | 7 3PM pic.twitter.com/mILnbVbyP3
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2024
Thompson had one NBA legend on his mind when Kerr announced his decision to move him to the second unit.
“I thought about [former Spurs great] Manu Ginobili. That guy has four rings and gold medal, and he came off the bench his whole career, and I don’t think anyone looks down on his Hall of Fame candidacy,” he said. “He’s one of the greats. And I thought, I mean, I embraced it before tip, and I mean, I deserved it really.”
In the end, Kerr’s decision was a win-win for Thompson and the Warriors. The 11-year veteran put up 17 of Golden State’s 84 first-half points.
The Dubs went on to outscore Utah 50-40 in the key for their eighth win in 10 games heading into the All-Star break.
