During his recovery from consecutive leg injuries, Klay Thompson would often imagine himself in late-game situations holding the ball, rising to the occasion and carrying the team to victory. These were some of his worst days.

After recovering from two serious injuries, Thompson hoped to have big career nights well into his 30s, but he wasn’t sure that would actually happen.

As a competitor and a basketball player, those are the times you truly live for, Thompson stated on Monday night. “It can be difficult to see those people while in recovery.”

That’s why performances like the 54 points he scored in the Warriors’ thrilling 143-141 double-overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks are so satisfying for Thompson and unique for those who saw him during some of his lowest moments in the NBA.

A week away from marking the one-year anniversary of his comeback from a two and a half-year injury layoff, Thompson gave the Warriors, who were without six players, including standouts Andrew Wiggins and Stephen Curry, one of his best games to date on Monday.

With a well-rounded attack, Thompson, 32, gave Golden State a much-needed boost and displayed hints of his pre-injury self. With a career-high 39 attempts, he finished the game with a career-tying 21 made field goals. In addition, he made ten 3-pointers to record his fourth career 50-plus point performance.

Draymond Green praised Thompson’s early leadership and team-sustaining performance, saying, “It was huge.” “We needed every one of them, but his aggression from the start was really effective in stopping shots and setting up other offensive opportunities for us. He resembled an elderly Klay.

Thompson may have wondered what kind of player he would be after sustaining two injuries that would change his career when he returned to the court. However, he never let those unanswered questions quench his spirit of competition.

Things haven’t been easy for Thompson. His slow season ramp-up was caused by a mental block that kept him from playing five-on-five during the offseason, which led to a rough start to the season. After being limited in playing time for the first two weeks of the season, Thompson was trying to shoot his way out of a slump. The fiercely competitive Thompson became even more enraged by this since the Warriors’ difficulties were similar to his own.

Thompson was reminded by Green that he needed to play more in line with the game’s flow and refrain from pressing the shot in order for good things to happen.

“Recognizing that you don’t have to be the same Klay you once were, and when you recognize and accept that, you turn into the Klay you once were,” said Green. “We’ve all talked about letting the game come to you for our entire lives. And it’s a big thing, and it can be difficult at times when you’re as good and competitive as he is.

Thompson’s patience has paid off.

Even in a double-OT victory, fifty-four points is not anything to scoff at, according to Thompson. “I had a few difficult days when I didn’t think this would be achievable. And I’m just going to fully embrace it in order to live it in the moment.