The Golden State Warriors will have to be extra weary of franchise legend Klay Thompson after the veteran sharpshooter capped his recent resurgence with a thrilling game-winner against the L.A. Clippers on Wednesday night.
The Warriors may have to take a little more notice of Thompson than what they may have envisioned last week, with Thompson starting to turn the tide on what had been a disastrous start to his time with the Miami Heat.
Klay Thompson puts Warriors on notice ahead of Thursday's meeting
After a rough preseason where he averaged just 4.3 points on 26.9% shooting from the floor and 15% from three-point range, Thompson's fortunes failed to turn around through the first five games where he posted 7.8 points on only 31.7% from the field.
It appeared as if Thompson's starting role might be in jeopardy, having been limited to just 15 and 17 minutes during the final two games of that five-game stretch, and with the Heat struggling to a 1-4 record as a team.
But the five-time All-Star has provided a reminder of his deadly outside shooting in the past three games, and why Miami acquired him during the offseason after a buyout with the Dallas Mavericks. Thompson had 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting in a win over the Indiana Pacers, 19 points on 4-of-7 from deep in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, then saved the Heat from another disappointing loss on Wednesday at the Intuit Dome.
Staring down the barrel of a 2-6 start as they trailed by two with three seconds remaining in overtime, Thompson sprung free to the corner after a timeout and drilled the triple to deliver the visitors a 117-116 win. It was Thompson's eighth three of the night, finishing with a season-high 30 points, five rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes.
Klay Thompson and Heat now provide Warriors with their next challenge
Golden State will be looking to continue their enormous momentum on Thursday night at Chase Center, seeking a sixth-straight win against a Miami team on the second night of a back-to-back.
As much as the new-look Heat have yet to find their rhythm through the first eight games, they still possess immense talent that could make things difficult for a Warrior team playing without Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, Kristaps Porzingis and Gui Santos.
Thompson comes in with confidence knowing he's still one of the most dangerous shooters in the league, and now he'll be aiming to take down his former team on their own floor.
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