Because of numerous injuries, the Western Conference playoff rematch between the Mavericks (7-7) and OKC Thunder (11-3) lost some of its usual excitement. The Mavs desperately needed a win, that too without Luca Doncic, and they played with that urgency in mind. For most of the game, they looked sharp, especially in the first three-and-a-half quarters. But it was way too close for comfort!

Dallas, which led by 10 points with less than a minute and a half remaining, painted a convincing picture in their favor. But Oklahoma City wasn’t going to give up easy. They closed the gap in the final 1:16 of the game, and if it was not for Lu Dort’s buzzer-beating 26-foot three-point jumper that ended up falling short, it would have been a lot harder to steal their thunder.

Seven Mavericks players scored in double figures, helping secure a 121-119 win over the Thunder. Klay Thompson, who had a tough night, however, was not on that list. He struggled with his shooting in Oklahoma City, finishing the game with just 5 points. He made only 1 of his 11 field goal attempts and 1 of 8 from beyond the arc. Jason Kidd did what had to be done.

He benched Klay, with just over seven minutes remaining in the fourth, and his team down 104-94.

The veteran didn’t return until 36.1 seconds remaining. They won the game but at the cost of many fans’ happiness, as Thompson finished the game with five points, three rebounds, and zero assists, despite 24 minutes of play. He shot just 1/11 from the floor and 1/8 from three on Sunday night, bringing down his season three-point percentage to 35.6%—definitely not one of his good days—garnering some unpleasant fan comments.

Since the former Splash Bro recently joined the Dallas Mavericks, after moving from the Golden State Warriors with whom he hooped for 13 years, there is obviously going to be hate. However, do keep in mind that the Bay Area faithful had also started to dislike Thompson at one stage because he wasn’t what he once was.

With that being said, what did today’s performance spark?

Factions among the Warriors & Mavs fanbase, as some berate Klay Thompson, while others defend their legend

After this performance, as usual, people on X started giving their opinions. One user tweeted “Leave that man alone“. Hasn’t Klay done enough for Golden State? He brought them 4 championships; everyone can have an off day. Thompson was part of the key pieces that established the Warriors’ dynasty.

Another user tweeted “Just sad man“. The 5x All-Star was one of the best guards in the league. Going from scoring threes for fun to just 5 points in 25 minutes is indeed sad, as well as the Warriors fans making fun of him. He is infamously remembered for having failed to make a single shot in GSW’s loss to the Kings in the 2024 Play-In tournament, missing all 10 attempts. In light of this, one fan commented, “Washed Klay”, while another pointed out, “Man them knees ain’t in it no more”, adding broken heart emojis. 

13 years of sheer dedication forgotten in one night?

Having said that, one user wrote, “Why y’all doing this“. Thompson’s journey with the Warriors has been full of highs and lows: four championships, devastating injuries, unforgettable clutch 3-pointers, and lifelong bonds. Don’t kick a man when he’s down, actually, he isn’t even down; he scored 22 points and went 6-12 from deep range, against his former teammates just recently at the Chase Centre. So, of course, there were many who aimed to remind the world of Thompson’s abilities…

One user expressed their thoughts and wrote, “No way y’all are treating one of the most important players to y’all dynasty like this. Ts is disgusting”. Teaming up with Steph Curry, Thompson revolutionized basketball with his 3-point shooting while building a dynasty alongside Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, and coach Steve Kerr. A few days back ‘Caption Klay’ was celebrated at the Chase Center but as soon as his shots don’t go in, he no captain anymore?

If you ask Steve Kerr, no love’s lost. “I think what he overcame is almost unprecedented,” Kerr said. “… The last couple of years after he came back he struggled reconciling all of that, losing those prime seasons. We all saw that, saw him struggle with it emotionally. We saw him fight to get his game back. He helped us win a championship, led the league in 3s two years ago, he did a lot of amazing things.

“We wished that this had gone forever, that Klay would have finished his career with us but circumstances always dictate these things. In the end I think he made the right choice. I think he needed a fresh start, I think he needed kind of a new set of surroundings and that was apparent last year. He was not happy and that was hard to see, because he deserves to be happy. At his core he’s a very happy person,” the Warriors HC had said.

What Klay did for the Warriors cannot be explained in words, but one user has almost nailed it. They wrote, “He gave his best (and ultimately what looks like his all) for the warriors and we came out with 4 championships. Sad to see where he’s at now but all this hate fans are heaping on him is a bit spiteful. You can be happy he’s moved on without posting all this for engagement.”

It seems good times don’t last forever. Nor do the tough times. We hope Klay finds his form back.