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0 Klay Thompson, the shooting guard for the Golden State Warriors, made an impressive performance coming off the bench in the team’s recent game against the Utah Jazz. Thompson, who has started in 727 consecutive regular-season games since March 2012, was replaced by rookie Brandin Podziemski for this game. Despite this change, Thompson was able to thrive as a backup and scored a season-high 35 points, making seven 3-pointers and leading the Warriors to a 140-137 victory over the Jazz.
This was Thompson’s first appearance as a reserve since March 11, 2012, during the lockout-delayed first season of his career. He entered the game in the first quarter and immediately made an impact, scoring 17 points in 12 minutes in the first half, helping the Warriors build an 84-71 lead.
Thompson’s new role didn’t appear to bother him, and he even made some NBA history during the game. With a driving layup in the second quarter, Thompson became the 153rd player in NBA history to reach 15,000 career points, and the sixth player in Warriors franchise history to reach the milestone. The others include Stephen Curry, Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, Paul Arizin, and Chris Mullin.
Thompson has had a challenging season, missing the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons due to injuries and struggling at times this season. He is averaging 17 points, the lowest since his second season, and has occasionally not been part of coach Steve Kerr’s finishing lineup. However, Kerr had a discussion with Thompson on Thursday morning, informing him of the change in the starting lineup. While Thompson wasn’t thrilled with the decision, he responded with an excellent performance and proved himself to be a valuable asset to the team.
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