Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson scores career-high 60 points in 29 minutes (Video)

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

In a historic performance for the Golden State Warriors, Klay Thompson dropped a career-high 60 points on the Indiana Pacers, including 40 first half points.

The Golden State Warriors are the league’s most high-powered offense, and nights like Monday when their third-best scorer goes off for a career-high 60 points prove just how deadly they can be at their best.

In just 29 minutes of action against the Indiana Pacers, Klay Thompson set a new career-high and an NBA season-high in scoring with 60 points, shooting 21-for-33 from the field (63.6 percent) and 8-for-14 from three-point range (57.1 percent).

Facing an Pacers team on the second night of a back-to-back, the Dubs showed no mercy, jumping out to a quick 38-27 lead heading into the second quarter behind Klay’s 17 first quarter points.

For a guy who had dropped 37 points in a single quarter before, Klay’s opening quarter against Indiana was solid, but nothing to write home about. That narrative quickly changed in the second quarter, when Thompson’s 23-point barrage put him at 40 points heading into the break.

The Dubs led 80-50 at the half, giving Klay exactly half of his team’s points and pulling him within 10 of the entire Pacers team by himself. 

It was quite a show from the third-best scorer on the team, especially since Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant have stolen most of the thunder so far this year.

Thompson dropped another 20 in the third quarter, giving the Warriors a 33-point advantage heading into the final period. Head coach Steve Kerr decided to take his starters out, capping Klay’s historic night at just 29 minutes and resting him for the entire fourth quarter.

It may have cost Thompson a shot at history, and possibly his chance of eclipsing Kobe Bryant’s 81-point night, but the Dubs wound up breezing their way to a 142-106 victory with their starters resting the entire fourth.

The first half alone was pure spectacle, with the second Splash Brother reaching his 40 points while shooting 15-for-22 from the field and 5-for-9 from three-point range — all of which came in just 18 minutes of action.

Stephen Curry was loving it so much from the bench he tried running to midcourt before realizing only the tunnel could contain his excitement:

Klay Thompson became the first player in the Shot Clock Era to reach 60 points in fewer than 30 minutes.

Thompson’s 60 points were the most by a Warriors player since 1974, when Rick Barry scored 64 points. The team finished with an insane 45 assists on 54 made field goals. He joined Barry, Wilt Chamberlain and Joe Fulks as the only Warriors to ever reach the 60-point threshold, per Warriors PR.

The win moved Golden State to an NBA-best record of 18-3, reminding the world one more time that on any given night, this team has four different players who can beat you on either end of the floor.

More from FanSided

This article originally appeared on

share

Get more from Klay Thompson Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Klay Thompson

Golden State Warriors

National Basketball Association