NBA Playoffs: No Pressure To Perform Without Stephen Curry, Says Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson does not feel any extra pressure to perform in the absence of Stephen Curry as he helped the Golden State Warriors defeat the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.

Already trailing 1-0 in the first round series heading into the contest, the Spurs were impressive in the first half as they entered the break with a 53-47 lead.

However, they could not survive a second half onslaught from the reigning NBA champions with Thompson scoring 24 of his 31 points in the last two quarters while last year's Finals MVP Kevin Durant ended the game with 32 points as the Warriors won 116-101 and now lead the series 2-0.

With 27 points in Game 1 as well, Thompson's display is a welcome sign especially after his underwhelming performances in last year's Finals and with the Bay Area side currently dealing with the absence of Stephen Curry.

Curry's injuries since last month coincided with the Warriors losing 10 of their last 17 games in the regular season with many doubting their chances in the playoffs. But while there is extra pressure to perform without their star man, Thompson does not feel he has to overcompensate in Curry's absence.

"I mean there's definitely extra pressure but in my mind, no I don't [need to be more efficient]," Thompson told reporters after the game. "Because that's unwarranted, I don't need to do that. Just go out there, be myself, be free-minded, have fun, it is basketball, it's supposed to be a lot of fun which it is, and just play hard."

"No one can make up Steph's contribution individually. That's got to be done as a team and even then that's hard with the way he can shoot the ball," he said.

Thompson's tally — with 12-of-20 shooting — was notably the second-most points he has scored in the second half of a game in his postseason career as he also added five assists in his 39 minutes of action. Asked about his mentality in the second half, the 28-year-old responded that the focus was to be aggressive and making good plays.

"Well, it doesn't matter whether I make five in a row or miss five in a row," he added. "I'm going to have the same mentality next time down the court — that's be aggressive, to make a good play."

"That doesn't mean just getting the shot, that means just making the right play. That's usually what gets you in a rhythm. If you just make a play for a teammate, cut hard off the ball. So for me, it's never about making or missing shots, it's about keeping the mindset of being aggressive."

The Warriors will next play the Spurs in Game 3 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, on Thursday as they look to seal the series in the next two games.