Monday night, Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson played his best game since returning from his two season-ending injuries. The former All-Star scored 54 points on the way to a win against the Atlanta Hawks. After the match, Thompson revealed an NBA legend inspired his performance.
�It is a huge accomplishment for me,� Thompson explained. �Absolutely big. Just seeing Dominique Wilkins before the game and talking to him, telling him how much of an inspiration he was to me, coming back from an Achilles to average in the high 20s after a decade of playing, that inspired me to be myself.�
The NBA legend inspired a good season
This season Thompson has experienced ups and downs, but he�s still averaging 20.3 points per game for the season. So scoring a season-high 54 points isn�t something Thompson is taking lightly.
�54 points is nothing to slouch at, even in a double OT win,� Thompson told reporters. �There were some hard days for me. Days when I didn�t know that this would be possible. I am just going to embrace the heck out of it.�
Although the star of the night was Thompson, his teammate Kevon Looney stole the show with a career night of his own. He recorded 14 points, and 20 rebounds, then tipped in the game-winning basket in double overtime. The Warriors centered detailed the experience in his postgame interview.
�Trae Young hit a tough floater, and I knew we didn�t have any timeouts, so I just wanted to get their rim,� Looney shared. �I didn�t know who was going to shoot it. Draymond (Green) had a good push, and Klay got a good look. I rushed the first one. I didn�t think we had that much time, so I took my time on the second one, and I was able to make it.�
It was the first buzzer-beater of Looney�s career and another win for the Warriors, and it all started with the NBA legend that inspired Thompson. The Dubs improved their record to 20-18 and will face the Detroit Pistons next.
