A shimmering full moon hung over The Bay Monday night, reflecting off the water and shining on the Chase Center. Maybe the basketball gods have something cosmic cooked up for the Dubs after all.
Monday marked three years since one of the darkest days in franchise history.
On June 13, 2019, all of Dub Nation gasped as Thompson writhed in pain, holding his left knee. The way he grimaced, it was natural to fear the worst. There seemed to be a brief glimmer of hope when Klay came out of the tunnel at Oracle Arena to knock down two free throws, but that was the last we’d see of the No. 11 jersey for 941 days. The Toronto Raptors celebrated on the floor at Oracle Arena, winning the NBA Finals in Game 6. That’s not how Oakland was supposed to say goodbye.
On June 13, 2022, all of Dub Nation cheered as Thompson, Steph Curry and Gary Payton II bounced around the floor at Chase Center in the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The Warriors rolled to a 104-94 victory over the Boston Celtics to take a 3-2 series lead, and you know what that means – Game 6 Klay is coming to Boston with a chance to close out for a championship.
“Wow,” Thompson said Monday night, “I've never been so excited to go to Boston, I'll tell you that.”
Thompson played arguably his best game of the 2022 Finals Monday night. He went 7-of-14 from the floor and 5-of-11 from 3-point land en route to 21 points while playing some menacing defense. You’d have no idea he overcame ACL and Achilles injuries over the past three years.
We’re still waiting for him to completely erupt this series, however. He dropped 25 points in Game 3 but is averaging 18 per contest in the Finals, his lowest for any round so far in the postseason.
Maybe his Saturday dip in the Bay helped cleanse the soul and more divine intervention is on the way.
“Honestly, you just feel a little closer to God when you look up at beautiful skies and you're just in the ocean,” Thompson said Monday night. “I'm an Aquarius, so I just have always loved the water my whole life. It really is my happy place, besides the hardwood.”
If you’re wondering what the daily horoscope for Aquarius is, you’re in luck.
“Today you should have a lot of vitality, Aquarius. Recently, you may have decided to take more matters into your own hands. Your relationships will only benefit from this decision.”
So, will Thompson take matters into his own hands Thursday?
The last time we saw Game 6 Klay, he put on a performance for the ages. If the Warriors go on to win the title, it will be immortalized forever in Dubs lore.
Golden State held a 3-2 series lead in a rough-and-tumble Western Conference Semifinals against the Memphis Grizzlies but had a chance to close out at home at Chase Center. Game 6 Klay delivered a 30-point masterclass that included eight 3-pointers.
After the eighth one, he went ballistic – probably in one of those moments where he said he blacks out – and held up six fingers. Game 6 Klay hath risen again.
The Legend of Game 6 Klay was born in the 2016 Western Conference Finals in Oklahoma City. He dropped 41 points and hit 11 3-pointers as the Warriors evened the series against Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook at 3-3 after falling in a 3-1 hole.
But a big night in Boston would trump ‘em all.
Following the Dubs’ Game 3 loss in Boston to fall behind 2-1 in the series last week, Klay said he was getting “big 2015 vibes” from the Warriors.
That season, the Warriors fell behind the Cleveland Cavaliers 2-1 before rattling off three straight wins to capture their first title together as part of this dynasty run. The 2022 Warriors have followed the script so far, winning the next two games.
In another cosmic alignment, Thursday marks the seven-year anniversary of Klay’s lowest-scoring Game 6 of his career.
On June 16, 2015, he famously fouled out and scored just five points while producing an iconic meme, as he smiled while sitting on the bench. Klay might have been done, but the Dubs were about to hoist the trophy a few minutes later.
On June 16, 2022, will Klay atone for his meme-able performance in 2015? Will he be kissing the trophy once again? Do the basketball gods have a storybook ending in the works?
“We haven't done anything yet,” Thompson said, “and the mission still is the same.”
