SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – As the clock ticked by the last seconds, Klay Thompson began dancing on the sidelines before almost shedding tears during a celebration with his teammates.
After two major surgeries and two years of grueling rehab, Thompson is back in shape and shot the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
Thompson scored 32 points and the Warriors advanced to their sixth final in the last eight seasons by beating the Dallas Mavericks 120-110 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals Thursday night.
“It’s hard to put it into words really,” Thompson said. “This time last year, I was just starting to run again and go up and down the track. Now I feel like myself, feeling explosive, confident in my movements. I’m just grateful.”
Thompson broke his left ACL during a loss in the sixth game that ended the season in the 2019 NBA Finals against Toronto and then broke his right Achilles tendon just before the start of the season. 2020-21 season. After Golden State missed the postseason in both seasons that was low, Thompson finally returned to action in January.
His performance against the Mavericks proved that he is about to return to his former level of stardom.
Thompson scored 19 points in the first half, including a triple that shook his teammate Stephen Curry’s shaking feature as the Warriors took a 17-point lead at halftime and went on to stop the rest of the game. way.
“You can see how much has been missing in the last two years,” Draymond Green said. “We’re lucky to be back at the Klay Thompson we know because we know how good he is.”
Andrew Wiggins added 18 points and 10 rebounds, Green scored 17 points and Curry made 15 points and nine assists. He was named MVP of the series.
Luka Doncic overcame a slow start to score 28 points for the Mavericks. Spencer Dinwiddie added 26.
After missing the playoffs in 2020 and ’21 in seasons plagued by consecutive injuries, the Warriors are returning to a family stage. They join the 1990 Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan, the Magic Johnson Lakers in the 1980s and the Bill Russell Celtics in the 1950s and 1960s as the only franchises to reach the NBA Finals. at least six times in a period of eight years. .
“For our team, our guys, especially the core group, are part of that six times in eight years, I don’t even know what to say,” coach Steve Kerr said. “It just takes a huge amount of skill, determination and hard work.”
Golden State will host the winner of the Eastern Conference finals between Boston and Miami on June 2 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Celtics have a 3-2 lead in Game 6 at home on Friday night.
The Warriors followed their pattern from the first two rounds recovering after missing the chance to finish a series on the road winning at home. Golden State is now 9-0 at the Chase Center this postseason, tying the 2017 team with the most consecutive wins at home in a single postseason in NBA history.
After making just seven triples in the first four games of the series, Thompson had eight in that game for the fifth time he set the record in the playoffs.
The last two have reached the final two rounds against Memphis and Dallas, which has led to questions as to whether his nickname should be changed from “Game 6 Klay” to his story in this game to “Clinching Klay.”
“I’m happy with ‘Game 6 Klay.’ I don’t need another nickname,” Thompson said with a smile. “It’s a pleasure not to have to take it out yet.”
Thompson gave the Warriors a 13-point lead in the first half when he hit one from the corner before dancing and added two early in the third quarter to get a 23-point lead.
Dallas reduced a 25-point deficit to eight in the final minute of the third quarter, but was unable to overcome the hump in the fourth.
“I don’t like to lose, especially not like that,” Doncic said. “I played terribly. But if we talk about our season, I’m very proud of this team. … Nobody had us here. But I promise we fought until the end.”
SLOW START
Doncic had a tough start, throwing 2 of 10 in the first quarter. His eight failures were the most tied in the first quarter of a playoff game since LeBron James missed nine attempts in the third game of the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals against Atlanta.
Doncic held on to six points in the first half, his first half of his postseason career, on 2-of-12 shots before finding his way into the third quarter.
“We need Luka to go very many nights just to give us a chance, and unfortunately the ball hasn’t gone for him tonight,” coach Jason Kidd said. “I think it carries the burden as well as anyone else, and I think for us as an organization, we will help lighten that burden as we move forward.”
MOODY MANIA
With Otto Porter (left foot) sidelined for a second straight game, the Warriors received a big boost in the first half from 19-year-old debutant Moses Moody.
Moody’s scored all seven points in the second quarter with his triple giving Golden State a 56-38 lead. Moody’s scored just six points in the first three games of the series for the Warriors before scoring 17 in the last two games with Porter out.
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