Certain moments in a player’s career become immortal – defying their legacy and identity within a franchise. And while Klay Thompson played a vital role in helping the Golden State Warriors win the 2015 championship, his realest value, according to Draymond Green, was stamped in Game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference Finals. It was a performance that the Dub Nation could never forget. Moreover, it was a 41-point performance that sealed the series in the Warriors’ fate before Game 7 was even played.
Draymond recalls the most iconic performance of Klay
At the time, the Warriors’ 73-9 record-breaking 73-9 season was on the brink of an abrupt end. The Oklahoma City Thunder stole Game 1 in Oklahoma and remarkably protected their home court, winning both Games 3 and 4 in a gritty fashion. Being in a 3-1 hole, Steve Kerr’s team responded by winning Game 5, but skeptics believed it was merely a byproduct of home-court advantage. Thus, it was expected that the series returning to Oklahoma for Game 6 would most likely be the end of the story for Green & Co.
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The start of Game 6 seemed to confirm those fears. The home team registered a five-point advantage going into halftime, and Stephen Curry was far from his best, shooting merely 2-of-7 from the field in the first half. Even with Klay’s 16 points against his name, he shot only 6-of-15 from the field.
The Warriors could’ve only been saved with a miracle as the Thunder stretched the lead to double digits in the second half. In the fourth quarter, ‘Killa Klay’ took control, as Thompson scored 19 of the team’s 33 points, propelling the Thunder team single-handedly, including five three-pointers. After that win, Draymond became sure that his Golden State had turned the tide of this series in their favor, as the entire Thunder team was silenced and their morale was shattered into pieces.
“I remember like it was yesterday. It was crazy. Game 6! Back against the wall! And the whole day, Klay was like, ‘Dray, I got us. There’s no chance we losin’ this game.’ You know, Klay did this little twitch,” Green recalled. “You could see in his demeanor, in his walk, the whole thing. We down 15 (points), and outta nowhere comes Klay Thompson… at that point, you know we got the series because they not coming back to Oracle to beat us in Game 7.”
Klay Thompson showed his mettle
Despite his heroics, Klay was often underappreciated during the Warriors’ dynasty era. The spotlight rarely found him first. But on that night, when his team was backed into a corner, Thompson showed the heart of a champion. He embraced the pressure and delivered one of league history’s most iconic playoff performances.
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Draymond may have seen the fire in him before the rest of us, but when Game 6 ended, the whole basketball world knew who the Warriors No. 2 star truly was.