“I’ll Be Better Monday”: Klay Thompson Takes Blame For His 6 ‘Inexcusable’ Turnovers in Game 3 Loss

The Golden State Warriors were humbled by the LA Lakers in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals. Speaking after the game, veteran Klay Thompson took responsibility for the loss and claimed that the Warriors need to be more careful with the ball. Thompson cited his 6 turnovers as one of the biggest reasons why the Warriors were blown away.

The defending champions lost 127-97 after winning game 2. They are now losing the series 2-1 and are just two losses away from being knocked out.

Klay Thompson takes responsibility after the Warriors’ Game 3 loss

The Golden State Warriors’ starting line-up registered a total of 10 turnovers, compared to the Lakers’ 8. Out of them, Klay Thompson committed SIX.

The Warriors found themselves against a determined and physical defense that made shooting chances hard to come by the entire night. Thompson finished with just 15 points after converting just 5 of his 14 field goal attempts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EppPau9ohmA

His 5 turnovers were also the highest that he has ever registered in a Playoff game. The House of Highlights shared the post-game interview clip on their YouTube channel. When asked, Thompson claimed that the loss and the high turnovers were his responsibility:

“I think the turnovers and our fouling, that’s on me, you know, playoff career-high, 6 turnovers, inexcusable. Monday I will be better and more sure of the ball, and make better decisions. Can’t send them to live as many as 37 times, it’s way too many. So, Monday, those will be the points of emphasis for us, you know, being sure with the ball and limiting our turnovers.”

The Warriors now have an uphill task in fighting back against the Lakers

The Warriors have been casual with the ball far too many times and registered far too many easy turnovers. That has been a problem that the Dub Nation has faced the entire season.

With the LA Lakers gaining form and steam at just the right time, the Warriors know they cannot rely on the brilliant Curry alone to get them through. Stephen Curry finished with 23 points in game 3 but also struggled with his efficiency.

He converted just 9 of his 21 attempts on the night. The Warriors’ offense struggled to convert shots all night which was in part due to the Lakers’ strong defense. In a video shared by NBC Sports, Thompson had even claimed that the Warriors got “punked” on the night:

"We got punked tonight."

— Klay on tonight's loss pic.twitter.com/SJyHElfs8c

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 7, 2023

Among the starters, it was Andrew Wiggins who finished with 16 points and a 54.5% efficiency. He was their most efficient offensive player on the night.

While the Lakers are no doubt a difficult team to beat when in form, the Warriors’ high turnovers and bad shooting means that they themselves are responsible for their struggles until now.