Thompson shakes off rough game

HOUSTON — Overshadowed by the growing concerns surrounding Warriors guard Stephen Curry was a decidedly uncharacteristic performance Wednesday night from backcourt partner Klay Thompson.

In 37 minutes of the Warriors’ 127-105 loss to the Rockets in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, Thompson totaled eight points on 3-for-11 shooting. It was his lowestscoring outing of the playoffs and his worst since he mustered just seven points in a Jan. 27 win over Boston.

The Rockets “switched everything, just like they did in Game 1,” Thompson said of his rough Game 2. “I wasn’t running like I should be.”

With Curry sidelined for the first round by a sprained left MCL, Thompson was one of Golden State’s most consistent players, averaging 22.6 points on 52.9 percent shooting (51.6 percent from threepoint range). But after Curry returned for Game 2 of the conference semifinals against New Orleans, Thompson began missing shots he is accustomed to making.

His shooting clips in that series — 38.4 percent from the field, 27.9 percent from three-point range — were troubling for a player considered perhaps the best shooter in NBA history not named Curry. The problem? As Curry eases back into a rhythm after missing more than a month, Golden State has rolled its offense through Kevin Durant.

Instead of always making the extra pass, the Warriors have often stood and watched Durant break down his defender on isolation plays. The decreased ball movement has most hurt Thompson, whose game subsists on working off screens to hit open jumpers.

The good news for Golden State is that he is a master at moving past off games. With head coach Steve Kerr giving the team Thursday off, Thompson plans to relax with his beloved bulldog, Rocco.

“It’s always nice to have a day off,” Thompson said. “We play a lot of basketball. You need a little break every once in a while.”