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Amid his up-and-down season, Golden State Warriors veteran star shooting guard Klay Thompson was demoted to the bench for Thursday’s matchup against the Utah Jazz. However, the five-time All-Star responded with a team-high 35 points and seven 3-pointers on 59.1% shooting, leaving Warriors fans ecstatic.
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Entering Thursday, Thompson had scored 12 or fewer points in four of his last six games, including a five-point outing on Saturday against the Phoenix Suns. So, Golden State coach Steve Kerr opted to shake up his rotation.
The contest marked the four-time NBA champion’s first time in a reserve role since Mar. 11, 2012, in his rookie season. It appears that Thompson used the demotion as motivation, as he led his team to a 140-137 road victory.
The unexpected 35-point scoring outburst marked a season-high for the veteran sharpshooter. After his electric performance, Warriors fans commended him on X/Twitter.
Many joked that the 34-year-old should remain in a reserve role and try to win the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year award.
“6MOTY campaign starts now,” one fan said.
“Bench Klay > Game 6 Klay,” another said.
Below are some more of the top fan reactions to Klay Thompson’s season-best performance:
Also Read: Steve Kerr lists Golden State Warriors' demands from Klay Thompson ahead of impending free agency
Klay Thompson on his response to bench demotion
Following Thursday’s victory over Utah, Klay Thompson touched on his bench demotion and how he opted to take it in stride.
“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.”
Steve Kerr also broke down his decision to bring Thompson off the bench, highlighting how it was for the betterment of the team.
“It’s been a tricky season for him and for us,” Kerr said. “It’s not as easy to do what Klay did five or six years ago for him. I think this could be a good balance to get the best out of Klay and to get the best out of our team.”
The win marked Golden State’s eighth in its last 10 games as the team continues its push for a play-in/playoff spot. The Warriors (27-26) rank 10th in the Western Conference with 29 games remaining.
They enter the All-Star break with momentum. However, they are still five games behind the sixth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans (33-22) in the crowded West.
Golden State will resume play at home against the ninth-placed LA Lakers (30-26) on Feb. 22.
