Klay Thompson Saves Warriors’ Season

But when the Golden State guard worked his Game 6 magic again on Saturday night, hitting nine three-pointers and scoring 35 points in the Warriors’ 115-86 win that forced Game 7 in Houston on Monday, his inspiration truly was that simple.

Anyone who was in Oklahoma City on that May 28, 2016 night remembers the look in Thompson’s eye when he saved the Warriors’ season.

There was a determination there that cut through all the pressure of the moment, with those 73-win Warriors only moving on because Thompson caught fire from long range in the kind of way few ever have.

Warriors catch fire to bury Rockets and force Game 7 “I learned, as I get older, if you play with passion, you play hard, and you leave the game saying ‘I gave everything I have tonight in those 48 minutes,’ you can live with the result,” the 28-year-old Thompson said.

So long as this star-studded Warriors core stays together, and so long as they keep winning, the debate will continue about which player is the most important and why.

But it’s games like this that remind you why the cool-and-collected Thompson is such a perfect fit for their formula not to mention why the Warriors need to lock him up with an extension when July rolls around.