Klay admitted he looked ahead to the Rockets series pic.twitter.com/3w2B4zx9V2
— Brad Almquist (@bradalmquist13) April 25, 2019
OAKLAND — You won’t get many answers following a loss more honest than Klay Thompson’s.
About 10 minutes before the Warriors and Clippers tipped off Wednesday, the Houston Rockets beat the Utah Jazz to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals, setting up the showdown the NBA world has long awaited, against the Warriors. But that matchup will have to wait. The Los Angeles Clippers went on to beat the Warriors, 129-121, in Oracle Arena Wednesday night. The two teams will return to Los Angeles Friday for Game 6, as Houston rests.
After Wednesday’s loss, Thompson admits he let his mind wander to the Rockets series, a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals.
“Yep, I mean, it started with me. I was (looking ahead),” Thompson said. “I thought we would come out and win tonight, but sometimes life doesn’t go as planned. Still in great position, hopefully only 48 minutes left to close these guys out. They have been pesky, they have been tough. But now it’s time to do what we do.”
Thompson, who scored 22 points in Game 5, said there isn’t anything to build on from Wednesday’s result. The Warriors were outplayed for the majority of the game, with exception to a couple second-half spurts.
The Warriors will have to regain their focus and bring it in Los Angeles, where they outscored the Clippers by 35 points in two convincing wins. Thompson expects for that to happen Friday.
“Shoot, (there) ain’t no building; just go do what we do,” Thompson said. “Like, build from this game? This game sucked. We lost. Let’s go win Friday, let’s win big. Let’s freaking win by 30, it’s what we are capable of. I am excited for Friday.”