Heat's Spoelstra Says Klay Thompson Is Fighting 'Father Time' After Game-Winning 3 vs. Clippers

Klay Thompson and the Miami Heat are starting to figure things out this season after a dramatic 117-116 overtime win against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Thompson played the role of hero with the game-winning three with one second remaining in overtime.

Heat-Clippers Highlights

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After Thompson's season-high 30 points, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra explained the 36-year-old future Hall of Famer is fighting "Father Time" by putting in the work to remain a valuable contributor at this stage of his career.

"You can fight Father Time, and [Thompson] is doing it," Spoelstra told reporters. "He's putting in a ton of time on his body, getting in shape, and that's allowing him to show the skill set he's had in his Hall of Fame career."

In a career loaded with memorable moments, Thompson's game-winning three on Wednesday was the first of his career in the final five seconds of any game he has played.

Thompson was a crucial offseason addition for the Heat after he agreed to a buyout with the Dallas Mavericks. They needed more shooters around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo if they were going to maximize their offensive potential.

The initial returns were not encouraging. Thompson was getting picked apart on defense and shot just 32.4 percent from three on 7.4 attempts per game across his first five starts.

Thompson's defense remains an issue, but the past three games have seen him average 24.7 points on 52.8 percent three-point shooting. He is attempting 12.8 threes per contest during this stretch.

Miami is inching closer to .500 with three wins in its last four games after an 0-4 start.

Thompson will look to keep his positive momentum going on Thursday in his old stomping grounds when the Heat take on the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.