NEW ORLEANS — Klay Thompson went eighth among the eight shooters on Saturday night in New Orleans, the enviable closing spot reserved for the defending champ.
He walked out knowing he’d need at least 19 points to advance to the finals. He started hot. But Thompson couldn’t keep it going, missing a trio of money balls on the final rack and finishing with 18, a point short, meaning first-round elimination.
“It feels like a bad loss during the season,” Thompson said.
Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon won the contest, beating Kemba Walker and Kyrie Irving in the final round. He is the first non-Warrior to win it since 2014. Stephen Curry won it in 2015 and then lost his crown to Thompson in 2016.
Curry stepped down this season, opting for a weekend of rest instead of competing in the contest for a sixth straight year. That left Thompson as the lone Warrior to keep the streak going. Nearly everyone asked before the event predicted that Thompson would win. Vegas labeled him the heavy favorite.
And Thompson looked like it early, nailing four of his five shots on the first rack, including the money ball, giving him five quick points. But Thompson’s rhythm quickly deteriorated.
He bricked three shots on the second rack and three more on the third — missing both money balls — to put pressure on himself heading into the final two racks. Thompson hit three of the five 3s on the fourth rack, including the money ball, sending him to the final rack with 14 points.
This is where he expected to make up ground. Each competitor is allowed to choose one of the five racks to stock full of money balls, which are worth two points compared to one. Thompson chose the final rack in that deep left corner.
“It worked for me last year,” he said. “I did well last time, tried to replicate that.”
To advance, Thompson needed to hit three of the five shots. He swished the first, putting himself in premium position. But then Thompson missed his next three shots, spelling an early elimination.
“I think I rushed it on those last couple racks,” Thompson said.
Thompson told reporters after the 3-point contest that he’d definitely do it again at some point in his career, though he wasn’t committing to next year. But when reminded that next year’s event is in Los Angeles, he sounded motivated.
“Oh, yeah,” Thompson said. “Back to where I grew up.”
No other Warriors competed in any of the Saturday night events, leaving the stage to Thompson to represent the league’s premiere team.
Of the Warriors’ four stars, Thompson traditionally generates the least buzz. Kevin Durant and Steph Curry are the mega brand names, Draymond Green is an outspoken headline machine. But Thompson is still a highly-respected two-way player, popular for his deadly shot.
In introductions for the event on Saturday night, Thompson’s name generated the loudest reaction from the New Orleans crowd, even bigger than Irving. They were buzzing after his 4-of-5 first rack, anticipating one of Thompson’s scorching shooting performances that have become part of his reputation.
“When he gets hot, he gets as hot as anybody,” Gordon said.
Some of Thompson’s shooting competitors on Saturday night were guards who have to defend and scout him during the regular season. Gordon, who is the leading candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year, said he watches Thompson tape to study his off-ball movement.
“If you want to watch anybody who runs off screens, anyone who doesn’t have the ball in his hands, he’s bar none the best,” Gordon said.
“He moves well, they screen well and they pass well,” Wes Matthews said of the Warriors. “You can tell that they drill it. They’re a well-oiled machine.”
Thompson is a key cog in the machine — a trained shooting assassin who darts around the court, perfectly uses screens, gets shots off in a second and is capable of detonating at any time. But because of the three stars he plays with, he can sometimes fly under the radar.
Saturday night, he had the stage to himself. He didn’t produce a second straight 3-point title. But his reputation around the country won’t take a hit.
“Think about it: He scored 60 points on, like, 11 dribbles (against the Pacers earlier this season),” C.J. McCollum said. “That tells you plenty.”
Klay Thompson discusses an unsuccessful 3-point contest pic.twitter.com/mIHKdamuFE
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 19, 2017
