Klay, Poole share emotional hug after Warriors win vs. Jazz originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
Well, so was Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole’s emotional hug after the Warriors’ huge 111-107 comeback win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.
The Warriors clinched a spot in the playoffs, but there was an even deeper meaning behind the much-needed win.
And the hug proved just that.
Prior to Saturday’s game, Golden State lost seven of its last eight games. With Steph Curry out for the remainder of the regular season due to a foot injury, the team has been focused on making the proper adjustments.
With Poole being the one to step up when the Warriors were down, and Klay continuing to struggle with getting his shot back, conversations were brought up about what was best for Golden State’s rotation.
Several Dubs fans took Warriors Twitter by storm and proposed the idea of benching Klay for Poole when Steph returns.
It’s a very extreme solution, but Poole coming off the bench during playoffs doesn’t really make sense with the way he’s been playing.
Of course, Steve Kerr will do what he needs to do when his sharpshooter returns to the lineup. But it’s definitely nice to see Poole and Thompson not feed into the chatter.
Instead, they soaked it all in with a hug.
“They should be happy for each other, they were both brilliant,” Kerr told reporters after the win. “Jordan, what he’s done over the last month or so, is incredible. The scoring binge he’s been on, the number of scoring opportunities he’s creating in pick and roll, and just with his dribble penetration. He’s taken on a huge burden with Steph out and he hasn’t even blinked. Jordan is quite a story.
“And we all know what Klay has been through, the frustration, since he’s been back. He wants it so badly. He’s had four games with 33 or more points so it’s not like he hasn’t produced, it just hasn’t been as consistent as he would like. But I will maintain that that’s coming with time, but I’m glad they were happy for each other. They should’ve been. They were two huge keys in the win.”
RELATED: What we learned as Klay fuels playoff-clinching win vs. Jazz
Thompson certainly showed no signs of giving up on Saturday. He had a game-high 36 points, shooting 14-of-28 from the field and 8-of-17 from the 3-point line. Poole added 31 points of his own, along with six rebounds and six assists.
The Warriors will get to enjoy this refreshing win for a little while, but have to get right back to it on Sunday as they head to Sacramento to face the Kings.