The journey for Klay Thompson has been far from easy.
Thompson went from winning three NBA championships to miss nearly 2 1/2 years with injuries, then struggled to regain his form as the Warriors won the 2022 NBA Finals.
Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors shoots against the Atlanta Hawks on January 2, 2023 at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California.
(Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
Thompson’s path to recovery has frustrated the five-time All-Star as Golden State stumbled out for the 2022-23 NBA season.
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monday night, Thompson took a big leap forwardscoring 54 points in a thrilling 143-141 double overtime victory for the Warriors over the Atlanta Hawks.
“It’s a great achievement for me,” Thompson said, according to ESPN. “There were some tough days for me where I didn’t know this would be possible in real time. I’m just going to accept it.”
Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors celebrates during the game against the Hawks on January 2, 2023 in San Francisco, California.
(Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
Thompson went 21-39 from the field, shooting 10-21 from beyond the three-point line, reaching his highest total in a single game since the 2016 season.
“He just took shot after shot and play after play, he was unbelievable,” coach Steve Kerr said.
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golden state, without the services of Steph Curry for the ninth straight game, he won his fifth straight game behind Kevon Looney as the game clock expired in the second overtime.
“Everybody dreams of winning a game, so every time you get the chance…it’s a great time,” Looney said. “Especially in a double-overtime game where everyone was exhausted.”
The Warriors’ Kevon Looney reacts after he made the game-winning shot at double overtime to beat the Hawks on January 2, 2023.
(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Thompson played a season-high 46 minutes Monday night as Golden State moved to 20-18 on the season.
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“I wouldn’t have been able to do this a few months ago, so this is a huge milestone for me,” Thompson said. “He’s a huge confidence booster, individually. We’re almost getting close to halfway there. It feels great to feel like I’m getting better with every game. I know I’ll be more consistent as the season progresses…after 30 games under my belt , I feel wonderfull”.
Thompson’s long road back to the court began in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals when he tore his ACL. After rehabbing and missing the 2019-2020 season, Thompson ruptured his Achilles tendon, forcing him to miss another full season and half of the 2021-22 schedule.
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He returned to the court on January 9, 2022, and was placed on a minute restriction that carried through this season.
Associated Press contributed to this story