There are many versions of Klay Thompson, on and off the basketball court. The version the Warriors hope to see Thursday night, however, is Game 6 Klay.
When the Warriors face the Raptors at Oracle Arena in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, Golden State will need its shooting guard to go back in time three years ago. Or even just to last season.
Thompson has been huge for the Warriors when facing elimination in Game 6s. Just take a look for yourself.
Klay has been CLUTCH in Game 6s for the Warriors 😤 pic.twitter.com/Pd89fZVQfY— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 13, 2019
The legend of Game 6 Klay began in the 2016 Western Conference Finals in Oklahoma City. As the Warriors eventually erased a three-games-to-one deficit -- the same feat they're currently attempting -- Thompson went off for 41 points, including playoffs record 11 3-pointers.
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In the 2016 WCF, Klay Thompson hit 11 3-pointers against the Thunder to set a playoff record.
"Game 6 Klay" is the stuff of legend. Will we see it again tonight? 💦 pic.twitter.com/qYuABpljy7— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 13, 2019
The legend only grew in last year's conference finals. In front of his home fans this time, Thompson caught fire again from deep against the Rockets, draining nine 3-pointers on his way to 35 points.
Once again, the Warriors will need another huge performance from the sharpshooter. With Kevin Durant out, the Splash Brothers of Thompson and Steph Curry will have to carry the load on offense to keep the season alive in the final game at Oracle Arena. So far in these Finals, Thompson has been a man on a mission from beyond arc.
In the four games he's played -- he missed the Warriors' Game 3 loss with a hamstring injury -- Thompson has made 20 of his 35 attempts from 3-point range. That's a ridiculous 57.6 percent from beyond the arc. The rest of the Warriors have made just 33 percent of their shots from long distance.
[RELATED: Farewell to an old friend: We'll never forget Oracle Arena]
Playing in his last game at Oracle, Thompson has already declared his motivation on Instagram to both give the Warriros fans one final show in Oakland, and to win for Durant. He's been here before and he's ready to do it again.
Thompson and the rest of the Warriors badly want to force a Game 7. First, they might need another Game 6 Klay.
