When shooters are past their prime, NBA fans tend to think that they will no longer be getting many career highs, and even fewer career firsts. Klay Thompson just disproved this notion when the Miami Heat faced the Los Angeles Clippers. Yes, he did reach insane heights with the Golden State Warriors dynasty led by Stephen Curry. However, he experienced something only after landing alongside Coach Erik Spoelstra and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Imagine still having new feats in the NBA at 36 years old.
Heat’s Thompson gets new career feat that he never reached with Curry, Warriors
Coach Erik Spoelstra practically has to run perfect schemes just for the Heat to win. They learned this the hard way during their losses to the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, and Minnesota Timberwolves. So, everyone around Giannis Antetokounmpo has to perform at a championship level. No one plays like this better than Klay Thompson.
After winning four Larry O’Brien trophies alongside Stephen Curry and the Warriors, many thought his clutch shooting gene was gone. So, it was such a surprise when Coach Spoelstra and the Heat entrusted him to hit the final shot against the Clippers. It wasn’t Antetokounmpo, but Thompson, who sank the shot to give the Heat the 117-116 win.
KLAY THOMPSON GAME-WINNER IN OT 🚨 https://t.co/LOKOG46Vr5
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 5, 2026
To further the surprise, this is actually a career first for Thompson. Despite all those accolades and insane performances in the Warriors dynasty, this is the first game-winning three-pointer he has hit in the final five seconds of a game, per Keerthika Uthayakumar of StatKeks Stats & Info.
Thompson’s game-winning shot was key to the Heat’s win, led by Antetokounmpo. He scored 30 points by knocking down 50% of his shots from the field and 47.05% of his three-pointers.
Every shot mattered for the Heat. Why was that the case? Only four Heat players scored in double digits against the Clippers. Antetokounmpo had 27 points, Bam Adebayo had a team-high 35, and Davion Mitchell rounded out the list with 11.
This might be a first for Thompson, and all the glory should be directed to him for sinking that shot. However, it may be dangerous for Coach Spoelstra and the Heat to keep relying on an aging shooter from a previous dynasty.
