1:33 p.m. ET
Kendra AndrewsESPN
SAN FRANCISCO — Before the Golden State Warriors played the Atlanta Hawks Monday night, Klay Thompson had a chat with Dominique Wilkins. They discussed how Wilkins’ return from an Achilles tendon rupture decades ago made him an inspiration for Thompson as the Warriors guard was on a similar journey.
Thompson spent the early part of the season looking for the 2019 version of himself before tearing his cruciate ligament in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, only to have an Achilles injury just before the start of the 2020-21 season to contract
His 54 points on 21-of-39 shooting — including 10-of-21-of-3 — in the Warriors’ 143-141 win in double overtime was the closest he’s ever been, he said.
“This is a big accomplishment for me,” said Thompson. “There were some tough days for me not knowing this was going to be possible in real time.
His 54 points Monday night were the highest since his career high of 60 points in three quarters against the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 5, 2016. It was Thompson’s fourth career game with 50 points and seventh with at least 10 3s.
“He just kept shooting shot after shot, game after game. He was amazing,” said Golden State coach Steve Kerr.
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As Thompson has navigated periods of poor shooting performance, the Warriors have stressed to him about not forcing his game and playing with the flow of offense.
Teammate Draymond Green told him: “You don’t have to be the same Klay you used to be. When you understand that and believe in yourself, you become the Klay you were before.”
“When you’re as competitive as him, when you’re as good as him, it’s tough sometimes,” Green said. “Everyone has been doubting you for two years. That same fire toward that doubt brought you to Klay Thompson…you don’t lose this easily. That’s embedded in you. It’s good to see him calm down. He doesn’t chase it anymore, and it falls right into his lap. When you’re that good, that’s usually what happens.”
Thompson said he feels more relaxed than he did at the start of the season. At the end of October, his eagerness to get back on the pitch and prove the naysayers wrong was a disservice to him, he said.
Now he’s toying with a different message in his head: “I have to remind myself of that every day [playing for the Warriors] is literally the dream. The most important thing is to have fun and play hard. All the numbers, all the big nights will come as long as I’m doing those two things.”
Thompson has been giving himself these words of encouragement for some time. And with the Warriors roster exhausted – including the indefinite disappearances of Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins – it’s even more important for Thompson to listen to himself.
The Warriors took on the Hawks with just nine active players. The second unit consisted of a sophomore, a rookie, and two two-way players.
Fatigue was evident. Golden State blew a 21-point lead and missed some big chances in both overtime.
Any other point this season, the Warriors might have dropped that game. They lost their only other overtime game to the Charlotte Hornets in their second road contest of the season. Thompson missed a possible walk-off shot at the Orlando Magic a few days later. And the Warriors dropped a heartthrob at the Utah Jazz in early December. Green went so far as to describe his team as fragile.
“Having said that, we built an MO that’s gritty,” Green said. “No matter what the situation is, we are a team that will keep fighting. I don’t think this team has been building an identity all year and we’re starting to build one. It comes at a great time.”
Against the Hawks, golden state guard Donte DiVincenzo grabbed a crucial offensive rebound and then knocked down a 3-point tie with 0.6 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime after Thompson and Jordan Poole in the same sequence had both missed at long range.
Even with all of the Warriors’ big shots on the line — including a 3-pointer from Green — Golden State had an unlikely hero when Kevon Looney tapped the winner on his own offensive rebound when the final buzzer sounded in the second overtime after missing moments before.
“The first time I rushed it really quickly and I realized no one was panicking or celebrating,” Looney said of missing his first try. “I knew I had time to go back upstairs.”
Looney had a career-high 20 rebounds (10 offense) with 14 points and five assists.
“Everyone dreams of winning a game, so whenever you have a chance … it’s a great moment,” Looney said. “Especially in a double overtime game where everyone was exhausted.”
Thanks to Looney, the shorthanded defending champion of the NBA has stretched his best winning streak of the season to five games. They have also had six straight home wins.
The Warriors had four players for at least 44 minutes Monday. Thompson played a game and season high for 46 minutes.
“My tank is on E,” Thompson later said during his on-court interview with NBC Sports Bay Area. “Thank god for Kevon Looney, man.”
Earlier this season, Thompson faced a tight minute limit after not being cleared to attend live-action portions of training camp and sitting out preseason games. He still hasn’t been cleared for either side of back-to-back play.
“I couldn’t have done that a few months ago, so this is a huge milestone for me,” Thompson said. “It’s a big confidence boost, individually. We’re almost halfway through. It feels great to feel like I’m getting better with every game. I know I’ll be more consistent as the season progresses… 30 games under my belt after that, I feel wonderful.”