SAN FRANCISCO — Will Ferrell emailed Steve Kerr some time again, and the Warriors coach didn’t imagine it was actually the actor writing.
A couple of exchanges later, Ferrell was warming up with Golden State on an evening the Warriors wanted a bit enjoyable and lightheartedness to overlook their current funk.
Klay Thompson scored 20 factors after the comedy star stunned him and teammates earlier than the sport, and Golden State snapped a five-game skid by beating the Los Angeles Clippers 112-97 on Tuesday.
“It was enjoyable, and I’m glad we took benefit of it,” Stephen Curry mentioned. “… I feel we fed off the vitality. I used to be truly stunned, his kind, he truly had some good rotation on the ball, and countless vitality. I don’t know the way.”
Ferrell went by way of taking pictures, passing and dribbling whereas sporting a vintage-style headband and wearing his Jackie Moon jersey from the 2008 hoops movie “Semi-Professional.” It was a second that was meant particularly for Thompson — who dressed as Moon for Halloween three years in the past and loves the film.
Thompson watched it repeatedly throughout his two-year rehab from main surgical procedures on his knee and Achilles tendon, saying: “After I had some darkish days I might put that film on and it could make me smile. I’m very grateful for that movie.”
He added, “That was so cool, goals do come true.”
Kerr knew it meant loads.
“We exchanged a few emails after which concocted the plan,” he mentioned. “He’s an enormous Klay Thompson fan and he is aware of how a lot Klay loves dressing up as Jackie Moon, so it was simply type of a pure match and it felt like time to do it simply to make everyone snigger in a tricky stretch of the season.
“He was nice. He got here into our locker room, made the fellows snigger. Everyone liked seeing him and listening to from him. He was hilarious.”
Jordan Poole additionally scored 20 factors off the bench whereas Andrew Wiggins had 14 factors and 11 rebounds for the Warriors, who took up the defensive depth and vitality to win for simply the second time of their final 9 video games to finish a road-home back-to-back.
“We had been locked in defensively tonight,” Poole mentioned.
Nicolas Batum scored 17 factors to steer the cold-shooting Clippers in a second straight defeat following a five-game successful streak. Los Angeles shot 35.5 p.c, with Reggie Jackson ending 2 of 14, Terance Mann going 2 for 9 and Ivica Zubac lacking all six of his photographs.
Golden State rested many regulars for Monday’s make-up sport at Denver, with Curry, Thompson and Wiggins all sitting out — and it was a late return to the Bay Space at 1:45 a.m. The Warriors held it collectively late this time after shedding massive leads in every of their earlier two residence video games, in opposition to Denver and Dallas.
Curry contributed 15 factors, 5 assists and 5 rebounds, making simply 1 of 6 3s, and Splash Brother Thompson started 2 for 9 and missed his preliminary 4 3-point tries earlier than connecting from deep early within the second.
Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga had 21 factors, six rebounds and 6 of Golden State’s 33 assists.
Fellow rookie Moses Moody earned his eighth begin after scoring a career-best 30 factors within the make-up sport at Denver on Monday.
The groups mixed to shoot 15 for 50 within the first quarter and had been tied at 21.
