The Golden State Warriors are headed to their sixth NBA Finals in eight seasons, and it only feels right that a vintage Klay Thompson game in Thursday's 120-110 victory over the Dallas Mavericks put them there this year.
While Thompson is one of the greatest shooters in NBA history and an integral part of three championships, he also missed the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons with ACL and Achilles injuries. He was a shadow of his former self at times this season, but the version who darts around screens and is automatic from deep took the floor at Chase Center for Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.