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For the better part of the first half in last night’s Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, the Golden State Warriors played like a team with a 3-0 series lead. Spearheaded by James Harden, the Houston Rockets played with more motivation, energy and desperation and led by as many as 25 points in the first half. The Warriors eventually got things going and were within striking distance early in the fourth quarter, but they had dug too deep of a hole to climb out of.
With any loss comes the need for fans to identify a silver lining. Something they can point to and say, “sure we lost, but (insert silver lining).” There were a few of those for Warriors fans last night, but one outweighed them all.
Yes, the Warriors showed great heart and fight by trimming a 25-point lead down to six. Yes, despite a horrific fall, it appears they have avoided a major injury to league-MVP Steph Curry. And yes, they are headed back to a building where they boast a remarkable 45-3 record this year. However, the biggest positive for the Warriors last night? Klay Thompson.
After the best regular season of his young career, Thompson stayed hot in the opening round of the playoffs. Though inconsistent at times, he enjoyed a solid series against the Memphis Grizzlies as well. However, the first three games of the Conference Finals were the worst three of the postseason for Thompson.
Thompson was shooting under 40 percent from the field and a stunning 18 percent from three-point range. It appeared he was going to continue the trend last night as he was scoreless halfway into the second quarter.
Then Curry took a tumble.
After Curry was helped to the locker room, Steve Kerr called a timeout to settle his team. Thompson responded with four three-pointers and 12 points in the final five minutes of the first half. He enjoyed his best shooting night of the series and will look to carry that over into Wednesday night’s Game 5.
It may sound crazy, but the injury to Curry may have been what Thompson needed to snap out of his slump. The success of Curry and the Warriors have helped Thompson avoid criticism for his performances this series. However, when Curry went down, the Warriors needed somebody to step up in Curry’s absence and Thompson did just that.
The way things are playing out in the East, it appears the Warriors will battle the LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for the NBA Championship. Though neither team has officially made it through, both series will likely conclude before week’s end. If Thompson is locked in, he could not only be a key difference maker in Game 5 Wednesday night, but, more importantly, in the NBA Finals.
Derek McVay is a Boston Celtics beat writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @mcvay34, or add him to your network on Google.
