Klay Thompson is back in the playoffs, and he brought his trash talk with him.
The Splash Brother is known more for his shooting than displays of anger on the court, but Golden State’s Game 1 victory over the Denver Nuggets at Chase Center on Saturday was the exception, as the opening round of playoffs clearly had Thompson in the zone.
Things got heated between Thompson and Nuggets power forward Aaron Gordon during an exchange in the second quarter. With the Dubs up 38-37, Thompson and Gordon got tangled up and a foul was called. The pair was hit with double technicals after a back-and-forth verbal confrontation near the hoop.
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While it was impossible to hear what was said between the two opponents from anywhere other than the court floor, Thompson shared what went down with reporters after the game.
It turns out he had been longing for some competitive, on-the-court banter.
“Just good old-fashioned trash talk,” Thompson said. “I missed it. I missed the competitiveness of the game. I missed being able to talk to guys and talk mess.”
While some of Thompson’s teammates -- cough, Draymond Green -- take pride in their technical fouls, the Warriors guard isn’t as confrontational on the court. Saturday’s foul marked just the third technical of Thompson’s playoff career. He had one during the 2017-18 postseason and another in 2018-19.
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“That kind of stuff gets me going from time to time, so that was a good time,” Thompson said after the game. “I mean, Aaron’s competitive and so am I. We’re not going to back down.”
If Thompson’s competitive edge remains sharp throughout the rest of the series, it spells bad news for the Nuggets.