Vintage Klay Thompson returns in Warriors victory: 'I finally feel like myself'

Benyam Kidane

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Vintage Klay Thompson returns in Warriors victory: 'I finally feel like myself' image

Klay Thompson's struggles to start the season have been somewhat of a cause for concern, but on Sunday night, the Warriors sharpshooter looked right back to his best.

Thompson delivered his best game of the season, pouring in 41 points on 10-of-13 from the 3-point line as the Dubs cruised to a 127-120 win over the Rockets in Houston — their first road win of the season. 

"It feels amazing. I'm hard on myself, so I've been wanting one of these and to get one and kind of open the floodgates, it's only up from here. I promise you," Thompson said postgame.

"I finally feel like myself. My legs feel great. I'm cutting to the rim, taking great shots and I'm just excited for what's to come. Man, I'm not gonna lie, guys, that felt amazing. Wow. I don't care if it's a mid-November game. That felt great."

Thompson signaled his intent from the jump, pouring in 20 points in the opening quarter on 7-of-9 shooting and 5-of-6 from 3, reminding everyone just how lethal his momentum can be once knocks down a few shots in a row. 

Tonight marked the 11th 20-point quarter of his career, reaching 10 3s in a game for the sixth time in his career, along with the 15th 40-point game of his career. 

While Thompson was draining triples for fun, tonight's contest, albeit against the young Rockets, also marked a return of the devastating Splash Brothers combo, with Stephen Curry joining the party with 33 points and 15 assists.  

"Steph is amazing, [the world] kinda takes for granted how great he really is," Thompson said.

"The only point guard I've ever known to share the backcourt with. When we both got it going on, you know what that means, it's just - there's no stopping that."

With the win, the Warriors improve to an 8-9 record on the season, which has them sitting 11th in the Western Conference standings. 

If this is the Klay the Warriors will be seeing for the rest of the season, expect the wins to keep piling up in The Bay. 

Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.