Klay Thompson Reacts To Warriors GM4 vs Kings | April 23, 2023

Clay, what was that last minute like? You have a pretty decent lead, and then the timeout, and all the extra stuff that happened there. What were you thinking as it's all kind of happening? It was stressful at times, but you go back to the bench when we're up one, and me and Steph got a great look. We'll take that any day of the week. You realize we're up one, 10 seconds left, chance to win the game, and that's all you can really ask for at that point in the game. So we didn't stress, and I'm really proud of Draymond and Steph's defense at the top of the key. I mean, HB got a great look, but that's not an easy shot. So I'm just happy that, I mean, those two guys made a great play. First question, I got two questions. The first one is, what was the feeling like for you when HB's shot came off? Oh, man. I was nervous. I'm really happy Harrison missed it. He's still my guy, but I was hoping he missed it really badly. And sometimes you need a break like that this point in the year and it was just a gutsy win and a big, big defensive stop. The other question is, you guys in the second, third quarter in particular, came out with a different energy on defense and rebounding. That seemed like it picked up. Was there anything said or done in addition to Draymond, guard, and De'Aaron? I think so. I think Draymond being so switchable just throws a different look at Fox. And not only is he switchable, but he's so great around the rim. He's so great at getting the rebound and pushing the break. And I love that he took 14 shot attempts tonight. I mean, those layups around the rim, we go in on Wednesday. And when he's aggressive like that, he just adds a whole new layer to our attack. Clay, what does it say about, or what message is it said that Draymond Green would suggest that he come off the bench after starting every single playoff game since Steve's been head coach? Oh, wow. He's a selfless player. Draymond's a winner. And he realized that last game we got great flow offensively with the four guard lineup. And to stagger hit in Lewin's minutes, I think benefited us a lot because they play very similarly as far as running the offense with handoffs and screens. And just a big time adjustment by the coaching staff and complete unselfishness by Draymond that allows us to try and reach our goal. That's why he's the champion he is. Following up on Matty's question, how rare is it to have stars of that caliber suggest that be OK with it because this isn't the first time that this team has seen a major adjustment bringing a all-star starter off of the bench in the playoffs? Yeah. Just shows you that we're all about winning. I mean, starting is a huge accomplishment in itself in the playoffs. But Steph did it last year and Draymond did it this year. So hopefully, we'll have the same result as last year. That'd be nice. That'd be really nice. Clay, obviously, you played well in the playoffs last year. But how differently do you feel right now as opposed to this time last year, particularly on the defensive end? I feel great. Confidence is very high. When you've been through it so many times, you just never let the moment get too big for you. And I thought I slid my feet very nicely tonight. I thought I had some great resistance on the defensive end letting guys get easy buckets. And then on top of that, I'm just a very prideful player. I don't really enjoy being scored on. So I always take pride in my one-on-one defense. That's for sure. Clay, what's the mentality you need to have in a game five, a swing game, knowing that game six, one of the teams had the chance to win this series? Well, as good as this feels right now, it's got to be quickly forgotten about once the day's over. Now it's best of three. I mean, we know how great this team is on their home court. We know they feed off their crowd. So it's on us to tighten up the turnovers and play the similar defense that we did tonight and do the little things. And I think we can come out with a victory on Wednesday. Clay, I think you played high 30s in minutes. Steph played 43. Everybody, kind of the main guys were the main guys. Does it feel like, you know, kind of this is, you know, I'm not gonna say old lines, but I just did. Are just kind of like, this is on you guys still? This is on your shoulders? Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we're the ones who've been here the longest and we gotta expect big minutes at this time of year. And that's, we're happy about that. But we still trust our bench. We still trust our depth and guys are gonna make huge plays going forward to help us win games. And Draymond, Steph, and I weren't the only, we didn't win the championships. We did it as a team and strength in numbers was a real mantra we live by. And I give our front office a ton of credit for filling out those holes every off season of players who fit our system and want to win more than anything else. It's why we're still here competing. Clay, that fourth quarter, that right there just, you know, solidified that, you know, this Splash Brother thing, this thing is for real. And this thing's been growing for about 10- 2023? Dang. Not like- For real. 10s didn't help? But getting to it though, we know it's been real for quite some time, but just, you know, your thoughts, your commentary, you know, playing alongside Steph, you know, and doing these type of magical things. What's your thoughts on that, you know, as your career has grown with this? Well, I've admired Steph long before he was a warrior. When he was at Davidson, I was a fan. I went and saw him play at the Honda Center in Anaheim against UCLA. And I was amazed by his skill and his ability. And then to be drafted with the Warriors and be his two guard for as long as I have been, it's been nothing short of amazing. And I just appreciate his hard work. I get to see it every day. I mean, the guy's in the best shape for a reason. He doesn't take shortcuts and he's just a great family man. And he's got a beautiful family and he's just wiser beyond his years. You know, I feel like Steph's been the same age since 2012. So he just is a simple person, but he is a competitor. And I mean, just to still be out here playing in playoff games with him, it's a great feeling. And these times I'll cherish for the rest of my life. And hopefully we can carve out a legacy of one of the better backcourts to play this game. Clay, when you heard that Traylon definitely wasn't gonna start, did you think, yeah, that makes sense? Because of what happened in the last game, what would you think of it strategically? I mean, I thought it was a good strategy, like I said before, with Loon and Dre playing very similar. It was probably smart to stagger their minutes a little bit, but they're also great together. And I love the ovation our crowd gave him. I love that Dub Nation has Draymond's back through everything. He's given this franchise so much and it's incredible to think he was a 35th pick at one point. And now to go down as a player who helped change the way basketball is played, as far as being a floor spacing big man who can guard every position, that's just a rare thing in basketball. So we are just grateful for Draymond's unselfishness and his leadership. He thinks the game almost better than anybody I know. So I just love competing with him. Wiggins, after basically two months away, he's gone 39, 34, 38 minutes the last three games, four blocks, two steals tonight. Does this surprise you at all? I know you know what type of athlete he is, just coming back in this form. Yeah, I mean, it's incredible. I've been telling people this all the time, like he didn't play in NBA for two months and he came back doing what he did. It's like, it's crazy because Wiggins doesn't look like he's trying very hard, but like you said, he has four blocks and two steals and he doesn't ever really break a sweat. And I would have given everything I have to have four blocks in a week. So for him to do that just effortlessly, like without him, we don't, you know, win a championship last year and we are not the same team either this year. So we are just so grateful for Andrew and he's an all-star and he's an incredible two-way player. Nice. Great, thank you. Oh my gosh. Sorry, sorry. I should have warned you.