WHEN KLAY THOMPSON struck the match on perhaps the biggest inferno the game had ever seen, the world was still debating whether he deserved to be an All-Star.
It was Jan. 23, 2015, against the Sacramento Kings, and Thompson was ice cold coming out of halftime. The then-24-year-old had missed his previous five shots, including an uncontested layup from point-blank range, and a pair of 3-pointers without a defender in the vicinity. No one could have foreseen what happened next. With the score tied with 9 minutes, 45 seconds left in the third quarter, Thompson's masterpiece began.