MANILA, Philippines – Klay Thompson went down as one of the heroes for defending champions Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals after exploding for a record-breaking 11 3-pointers to help stave off elimination and force Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
After a slow start and a bit of frustration etched on his face early in the game, Thompson sizzled to connect on 11-of-18 shots from downtown, setting an NBA one-game playoff record.
Thompson, who finished with 41 points and 4 rebounds, dazzled in the second half, scoring almost at will with little space, in varying situations, and from everywhere on the court. His treys helped keep the Warriors, who were once down 3-1 in the series before winning two straight, afloat in the final frame.
His biggest salvo was his last, the go-ahead triple with 1:35 remaining that put Golden State on top for good, 104-101, an on its way to the 108-101 win.
Thompson scored the first 9 points of the fourth quarter for Golden State and added two more clutch 3-pointers in the period after a brief pep talk from Curry before the last quarter began.
"Steph told me, 'This is your time. Show what you can do out there,'" Thompson said. "I tried to take that to heart."
A game-tying triple and a bank shot later on from backcourt partner and back-to-back MVP Stephen Curry, as well as crucial defensive plays from veteran Andre Iguodala neatly wrapped up the hard-fought road victory. – with reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com