Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson Comment on Game 5 Loss to Cavaliers in NBA Finals

The Golden State Warriors couldn't close out the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night, and their two star scorers tipped their respective hats to LeBron James and Kyrie Irving after the Cleveland duo scored 41 points apiece in a massive 112-97 Cavaliers win.

Speaking to reporters after the loss, which cut the Warriors' series lead to 3-2, Klay Thompson (37 points) admitted Irving was in a rhythm that was difficult to disrupt.

"Kyrie was great tonight," he said, per the Bay Area News Group's Marcus Thompson. "He had my number. Nothing you can do. He was making tough shots."

Fox Sports shared NBA TV's footage of Thompson's response during his postgame press conference:

Stephen Curry (25 points) also reflected on James and Irving's dynamic performances, which allowed the Cavaliers to fight on for another day, as NBA TV shared:

Thompson and Curry both focused on Irving's ability to hit tough shots, and rightfully so. According to NBA.com's player-tracking data, the Cavaliers point guard shot 10-of-14 on contested field-goal attempts in Game 5. James was also terrific with a hand in his face, finishing 9-of-16 on contested looks. 

Perhaps more surprising was the fact that Cleveland made more contested shots (29) than uncontested shots (15) in a game that saw the Eastern Conference champions drill 53 percent of their field-goal attempts.

That sort of production likely isn't sustainable, especially when you consider the Warriors' best defender is primed to return for Game 6 after sitting out Monday while serving a league-mandated one-game suspension.

And while Thompson told reporters not having Draymond Green in the lineup was "no excuse," per SLAM, Golden State will benefit from his presence on the floor Thursday night in Cleveland. 

In this year's playoffs, the Warriors have posted a net rating of plus-11.6 points per 100 possessions with Green on the floor. When he hasn't been flying around the hardwood, opponents have outscored the Dubs by 4.2 points per 100 possessions.

That 15.8-point swing can't be ignored, as Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher noted during Game 5: 

As their record-setting 73-9 campaign has proved, the Warriors are masters at bouncing back from adversity. They've lost back-to-back games just once dating back to the start of the regular season, and those flops came in the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

So while failing to close out the Cavaliers in Oakland may sting, the Warriors have the track record and the personnel to bounce back from a Game 5 letdown with a statement showing in enemy territory Thursday.

Stats courtesy of NBA.com unless noted otherwise.