Klay Thompson's rollercoaster 2023-24 NBA season took another turn Thursday when he wasn't part of the Warriors' starting lineup against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center.
This is Thompson's first time coming off the bench since March 11, 2012 during his rookie NBA season.
Thompson had started 727 consecutive regular-season games entering Thursday. He also has started all 158 NBA playoff games he has played in.
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The five-time NBA All-Star eventually checked into the game at 7:00 mark, replacing Jonathan Kuminga. Thompson reached a prestigious milestone in the second quarter, reaching 15,000 career points with a driving layup in the second quarter.
Thompson's move to the bench comes a night after he struggled in the Warriors' 130-125 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at Chase Center. He finished with 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting and 1 of 9 from 3-point range.
In the final minute, with the Warriors trailing by three points, Thompson committed an unnecessary foul on Russell Westbrook that left coach Steve Kerr and teammates in disbelief.
Golden State Warriors
Thompson is averaging 17.0 points (lowest since 2012-13 season), 3.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 30.6 minutes over 49 games this season.
Without a contract beyond this season, Thompson isn't having the year he hoped, and this latest setback will sting for a while.