LOS ANGELES — The Miami Heat defeated the LA Clippers on Wednesday night, the first half of a back-to-back set that will see them travel to San Francisco to take on the Golden State Warriors. It'll be the first time Thompson takes on his former team since joining the Heat and since the Warriors drafted impressive rookie Yaxel Lendeborg.
The Heat had lost five of their first seven games of the season, so Wednesday night's overtime thriller was as close to a must-win as it got for them. Klay Thompson finished the contest with 30 points while making eight three-pointers, a throwback game for him before he returns to the Bay to take on Steve Kerr, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and the team that drafted him 11th back in 2011.
Ahead of Thursday night's game between the Heat and the Warriors, Klay Thompson spoke about what it'll be like to face his old team.
“The Warriors are playing real well,” Thompson said after the Heat's win over the Clippers. “It's going to be a good challenge tomorrow night. it's going to be awesome seeing all the guys I grew up with and just going to be a special night. I only get to go there once this season, so I'm going to soak it all up.”
After losing three straight games to start the season, the Warrior have won five consecutive games and appear to be on a roll despite losing Kristaps Porzingis in the preseason. While Stephen Curry's brilliance has been a big reason for that, the primary reason for the Warriors early-season success thus far as been the incredible production and development of rookie Yaxel Lendeborg.
Through the first eight games of the season, Lendeborg is averaging 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 0.9 blocks while shooting 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three.
Through the first few weeks of the season, Thompson has been impressed with what he's seen out of the Warriors 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Article Continues Below“Yeah, he's playing great,” Thompson told ClutchPoints. “I'm not surprised, because he looks like he's a great athlete with NBA size. And I know he had a great college career. Steve [Kerr] is a great coach, he's got a great staff, and he can get the most out of guys. So I'm not too surprised. And he's got a good leader in Draymond. They probably go back and forth with the MSU-Michigan rivalry. But Draymond is a great leader for young players. And so it Steph. So I'm not too surprised.”
Having won three of the last four games, Thompson is hoping to ride the high into San Francisco and depart with a win on Thursday night.
Over his last three games, Thompson has averaged 24.7 points while shooting 57.4 percent from the field and 52.8 percent from three on 12 attempts from beyond the arc. It's the first time Thompson has made 19 three-pointers over a three-game span since February 2023.