Warriors’ Klay Thompson Scores 35 In First Game Off Bench Since 2012: ‘I Thought About Manu Ginobili’

Thompson put up 35 points in 28 minutes while shooting 13-of-22 from the field and 7-of-13 from beyond the arc. 

“I thought about Manu Ginobili,” Thompson said after the Warriors beat the Jazz. “That guy has four rings and a gold medal and he came off the bench his whole career. And I don’t think anyone looks down on his Hall of Fame candidacy because he’s one of the greats. I embraced it before tip.”

Thompson wasn’t thrilled when Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told him he would come off the bench, but the four-time champion didn’t pout. 

“You can do two things: You can pout or you can go out there and respond,” Thompson said. “I thought I did the latter very well tonight.”

Thompson becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. He’s averaging 17.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists this season while shooting 42.1% from the field, 37.3% from 3 and 91.8% from the free-throw line. 

“Coming off the bench gave me fresh legs, especially on a back-to-back,” Thompson said. “That was nice to come in with a fresh, clean slate.”

The Warriors are 27-26 on the season. They are in 10th place in the West. For the Dubs to go on a run in the second half of the season, Thompson has to play like he did against the Jazz. 

“The fuel that fed his competitiveness was the decision that I made,” Kerr said. “He’s such a competitor. I’ve seen him hit a million big shots. I’ve seen him guard the toughest guys in the league. Klay’s a champion. He’s an incredible player, great person. I’ve been blessed to coach him.”