When the Warriors returned home after Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Klay Thompson took a dip in The Bay to get “closer to God” and cleanse his mind, body and soul. In the Game 5 win, he authored his arguably best game of the series so far, scoring 21 points while knocking five 3-pointers and playing some tenacious defense.
So, will he find time to jump in the Charles River before Game 6 on Thursday night?
“I know there's a lot of beautiful waters around these parts,” Thompson told reporters Wednesday. “So I'm not ruling it out. It's probably a slim possibility.”
Klay strengthened his lifelong love of the ocean during his rehab, as he spent many mornings and afternoons on his boat, daydreaming of being back in the Finals. He took to calling himself Sea Captain, one of the many monikers he’s carried over the years.
Given he’s a proud Aquarius and loves water, the Splash Brother nickname fits Thompson well. He’s also been Captain Klay, Headband Klay and China Klay. Of course, there’s Game 6 Klay.
The Warriors bring a 3-2 lead into Boston. Game 6 Klay has a chance to bring home the ‘ship.
“It's obviously a nickname I earned,” Thompson said. “I want to live up to it. At the same time, I don't want to go in there and play hero ball.”
Will Game 6 finally be the time we see the Splash Brothers go off in the same game during the Finals? We’re still waiting for that big explosion from Thompson, who scored a series-high 25 in a Game 3 loss.
Steph Curry is looking for a bounceback game after he failed to splash a 3-pointer for the first time in 234 contests, an NBA-record streak that dated back to November 2018. A reporter asked Curry if we’d see Game 6 Steph on Thursday night.
“I will in no way infringe upon that nickname for Klay," Curry said smiling. "I'm just going to do my job and try to help us get a win, enjoy what that would actually mean. But Game 6 Klay, I don't know how he's been able to do it.”
Klay had 30 points in 32 minutes before tearing his ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Thompson’s 41-point, 11 3-pointers made masterpiece in the 2016 Western Conference Finals is probably still his most Game 6 Klay performance. His 30-point, eight 3-pointer display to help clinch the Memphis Grizzlies series last month was also pretty epic.
He doesn’t want to put lofty expectations on Thursday night’s game, though, even with the ultimate prize dangling in front of him.
“I don't want to put any extra pressure on myself to live up to my name,” Thompson said. “I just want to go out there and play free, trust my teammates. And I know great things will happen if I do those two things.”
