NBA Finals: “Game 6 Klay”

The Warriors have a chance to win it all tonight as they take on the Boston Celtics in Boston for Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Things are looking favorable for Golden State, who will be looking for a bounce back from Steph Curry, have Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and Jordan Poole all playing intensely and consistently, plus of course, they’ve got “Game 6 Klay” on their side.

Who is Game 6 Klay?

Klay Thompson earned himself the nickname “Game 6 Klay” for reasons I’m sure you can guess - by being clutch in Game 6s. The name was born when Thompson scored 41 points, 11 of which were three-pointers, in the Western Conference finals in 2016, leading the Warriors to a Game 6 victory over the Thunder. That set up the Warriors, who were tied in the series 3-3, for a Game 7, which they won, and on to the Finals they went.

But it wasn’t just that one game that earned him the nickname. From 2014-15, Thompson is shooting 48.9% from the field and 54.8% from long range in eight Game 6′s. In 2019, Thompson had a streak of incredible Game 6′s. Against the Houston Rockets. LA Clippers, and Toronto Raptors, he scored 66 points, shooting 50% from the field and 52.2% from beyond the arc. In Game 6 of the Finals, however, his luck ran out when he left with an ACL injury. Before leaving though, Thompson put up 30 points on 12 shots from the field and made two free throws before hobbling off the court. Those two shots put the Warriors up 85-80 with a few minutes left in the third quarter. Unfortunately, the Raptors won it and the series after Thompson left.

Thompson pulled off another clutch Game 6 this year in the Western Conference semifinals against the Memphis Grizzlies, dropping 30 points on 11-of-22 shooting, 8-of-14 from deep. His 3-point shooting if we don’t consider Game 6s is 40%. With Game 6s factored in, it’s 41.1%.

“It’s obviously a nickname I earned. I want to live up to it. At the same time, I don’t want to go in there and play hero ball,” said Thompson. “I’m just going to be in there and be myself, do what I’ve been doing the last few games. I know that will allow us to be successful.”

As the Warriors head into Game 6, all eyes are on “Game 6 Klay” to see if he can help them clinch the series and the NBA title once and for all tonight. Follow all the action from our live text coverage right here on AS USA.