NBA Twitter Says Klay Thompson Is 'Back' After Warriors' Win vs. RJ Barrett, Knicks
Klay Thompson continued to show signs of a resurgence with 20 points to help lead the Golden State Warriors to a 111-101 win over the New York Knicks on Friday night.
Thompson knocked down eight of his 16 shots from the field, including four three-pointers, to go along with three rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes.
"It seemed like every time Klay just made an extra pass, the ball started to move and then we got a wide open shot," Golden State head coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "We ended up with 32 assists. It started with early on Klay taking a more patient approach. And then the game rewarded him."
After a sluggish start to the campaign, the five-time All-Star has slowly been rounding into form over the past few weeks, which is a great sign for the Warriors as they attempt to pick up steam. Their record stands at 7-9 after beating the Knicks.
Let's check out some social-media reaction to Thompson's performance:
Stephen Curry once again paced the Warriors with 24 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and two steals as he builds a strong early-season MVP candidacy. Draymond Green chipped in 10 points, nine boards, seven dimes and two blocks.
So, for at least one night, it looked like the reigning NBA champions were ready to start making some noise once again.
"We played that Warriors brand of basketball that has made us the best team of the past decade," Thompson said.
Julius Randle scored a team-high 20 points for the Knicks, who dropped to 8-8. RJ Barrett posted 18 points, five assists and four rebounds.
"We still got a chance to make it a great trip," Randle said. "We got two more games, two more very winnable games. We've got a chance to make it a great trip and go back home feeling pretty good about ourselves."
Both teams are back in action Sunday. New York continues its five-game road trip against the Phoenix Suns, while Golden State travels to face the Houston Rockets.
Kerr: Warriors' Curry, Thompson, Green, Iguodala Core in 'Final Stages'
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr understands the team's current core is near the end of its run.
"We know this isn't going forever," Kerr told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. "This could be the last year; maybe next year is the last year. We're in the final stages. We know that. We want to make the most of it."
The Warriors won their fourth title in eight years last season, with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green together for the entire stretch. Andre Iguodala spent two seasons with the Miami Heat before returning last season, but he was also a part of the team's six NBA Finals appearances since 2015.
"This is my ninth year," Kerr said. "If you look at the core—Steph, Klay, Draymond, Andre—those guys have been together for basically a decade. That doesn't happen in sports."
Despite the past success as a group, the Warriors have been transitioning to a new core thanks to contract extensions for Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins. Young players like Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga are also expected to carve out more consistent rotation roles.
Thompson, meanwhile, has not played to his massive contract while averaging just 14.7 points per game with a 33.0 three-point shooting percentage. The guard has a $40.6 million salary for this season and $43.2 million in 2023-24, but he seems unlikely to get an extension beyond that.
Green remains a positive all-around contributor, averaging 7.9 points, 6.6 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game. He has a $27.6 million player option for next season, giving him a choice whether to test free agency in 2023 or wait until 2024.
Iguodala is on a one-year deal and has yet to play this season while recovering from a hip injury.
Curry remains under contract through 2025-26, but his longtime teammates could be searching for new homes by the end of next season. It represents an end of the era for the best dynasty in the NBA over the past decade.
Tom Brady, Stephen Curry, More Athletes Named in Lawsuit over FTX's Collapse
A class-action lawsuit against Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of cryptocurrency exchange platform FTX, also names several athletes and celebrities as defendants after they "aggressively marketed" the company, per Zachary Halaschak of the Washington Examiner.
Among the athletes listed are Tom Brady, Stephen Curry, Shaquille O'Neal, Udonis Haslem, David Ortiz, Trevor Lawrence, Shohei Ohtani and Naomi Osaka.
The lawsuit claims these people "promoted, assisted in, and actively participated" in the alleged scheme.
FTX filed for bankruptcy this week after facing a "severe liquidity crisis."
"I f--ked up, and should have done better," Bankman-Fried tweeted.
The class-action suit, led by Oklahoma resident Edwin Garrison, argues FTX was a "was designed to take advantage of unsophisticated investors from across the country."
The athletes helped promote the FTX brand, with Brady taking part in a commercial alongside then-wife Gisele Bündchen prior to the couple finalizing their divorce in October.
Brady and Bündchen were also announced as shareholders in the company.
Curry promoted FTX as well, saying in his commercial that the platform enabled him to buy and sell cryptocurrency without being an expert:
Lawrence signed an endorsement deal with Blockfolio, which is powered by the FTX app, becoming the first of its kind to pay a portion of its signing bonus in cryptocurrency.
The athletes could now end up suffering from these deals amid the collapse of FTX.