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Klay Thompson Calls Warriors' Game 5 Blowout Loss 'Awful' and 'Embarrassing'
May 12, 2022
Klay Thompson didn't mince words regarding the Golden State Warriors' performance in a 134-95 blowout loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series on Wednesday night.
According to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk, Thompson said: "It was awful. It was embarrassing. From the opening tip, they had great flow, and they were more aggressive than us. ... We all had the mindset that we were going to close it out tonight, but sometimes basketball [isn't] an exact science, and we played like a shell of ourselves."
Golden State had a chance to close things out Wednesday, but instead, the series will head back to San Francisco for Game 6 on Friday.
Everything seemed lined up for the Warriors to send the Grizzlies packing Wednesday, as they held a 3-1 series lead and were facing a team without their superstar player.
Grizzlies All-Star guard Ja Morant was ruled out for Game 5 and given a doubtful designation to return during the playoffs because of a bone bruise in his right knee.
That could have given Memphis license to fold and enter the offseason with a whimper, but the Grizz showed great resolve instead in a dominant 39-point triumph.
Per Youngmisuk, the defeat was the second-largest loss the Warriors ever experienced in a game in which Thompson, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green all played.
Also, Memphis' 39-point win was tied for the third-largest margin of victory for a team facing elimination in the NBA playoffs.
Without Morant, the Grizzlies opted for balance and it paid off, as seven players scored in double figures and three scored at least 20 points.
The Warriors didn't have a single player reach the 20-point mark, as Thompson led the team with 19 points. Curry had an especially tough night, going just 4-of-10 from the field for 14 points.
Following the awful performance, the Warriors seem ready to move on and are focused on closing out the series on their home court in Game 6.
Green called it "one game in the loss column" regardless of the score before adding, "Don't make too much of it."
Meanwhile, Thompson provided a positive outlook on Game 6, saying: "It doesn't feel good losing by as much as we did. But in a day, it's just a loss. You flush it from your mental, and you remind yourself who you are. And we're going to play with a 100 percent effort on Friday. I like our chances."
The Grizzlies are 21-6 this season in games Morant missed, but if he sits out Game 6 as expected, the Warriors still have to be considered heavy favorites to advance to the Western Conference Finals given their championship experience and Morant's absence.