The Golden State Warriors have shown signs of life lately, but they suffered a frustrating loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.
The Warriors blew a fourth-quarter lead in the defeat, and down the stretch, veteran wing Klay Thompson committed a costly foul with his squad down by three.
Warriors guard Stephen Curry seemingly tried to dap Thompson up after the foul, but the two players evidently weren’t on the same page.
Thompson had a game to forget overall, shooting 4-for-14 from the field and 1-for-9 from beyond the arc.
The five-time All-Star is in the midst of a rocky stretch. Over his last seven games, he’s shooting just 37.8 percent from the field and 24.5 percent from deep.
The Warriors, however, have been able to overcome Thompson’s struggles, as they’re 7-2 over their last nine games. They’re hoping Wednesday’s loss was just a blip. They’ve pulled back to .500 on the season (26-26) thanks to their strong play lately and currently hold the No. 10 spot in the Western Conference.
Still, Golden State may need Thompson to flip a switch if the team wants to become a major threat in the West. The conference is loaded with contenders, and the Warriors will need to turn things up a notch in order to join the elites.
The squad will have one more chance to wash away the taste of Wednesday’s defeat before the All-Star break, as the Warriors are in action on Thursday against the Utah Jazz. A win would send Golden State into the break with a winning record of 27-26.
Thompson has helped the Warriors win four NBA titles, but it’s possible that he’s slowing down, as he’s 34 years old and dealt with some major injuries earlier in his career. As things currently stand, he’s set to become a free agent this coming offseason, so it’ll be interesting to see what his future holds.
In the meantime, he’s undoubtedly focused on turning his season around and helping the Warriors reach their full potential in the Western Conference.
