11 breathtaking and legendary Klay Thompson moments from his time with the Warriors
1. Klay's career-quarter
Klay's performance in the third-quarter on January 23, 2015 against the Sacramento Kings provided an NBA record that may never be broken. After a 13-point first half on just 3-of-9 shooting, Klay exploded for an awe-inspiring 37 points in the third period.
The Kings were perilous to stop him, finishing the quarter a perfect 13-of-13 shooting from the floor and 9-of-9 from three-point range. No one in NBA history has since broken that single-quarter scoring record, and frankly no one has come close to the 12-minute groove that Thompson entered on that memorable night.
2. Klay makes more history in Chicago
If 37 points in one quarter wasn't enough, Klay displayed his shooting prowess again to produce another record on October 30, 2018 against the Chicago Bulls. Having entered on the back of a shooting slump to start the season, he exploded with 10 threes in the first half, and a further four in the third-quarter, for a single-game record 14 triples.
To make this record all the more absurd, Klay sat the entire fourth-quarter and played less than 27 minutes as the Warriors blew out the Bulls 149-124. He finished with 52 points on 18-of-29 shooting and 14-of-24 from three-point range.
3. Klay's career-high...in record time
Klay's ability to get scorching hot impeded his career-high night against the Indiana Pacers on December 5, 2016. He was red hot from the opening tip, scoring 17 points in the first-quarter and 23 in the second for 40 in the first half.
Even the interval couldn't cool him off, with Klay adding another 20 in the third to give him a career-high 60 with 12 minutes to play. While the blowout win allowed him to become the only player in history to record 60+ points in less than 30 minutes of playing time, one has to wonder what kind of scoring mark Klay could have reached had the game remained close enough for him to continue. A classic performance only made more memorable by the fact he took only 11 total dribbles.
4. Klay leads Curry-less Warriors in thrilling win over Hawks
In terms of post-injury performances, Klay's best scoring-wise came in a double overtime thriller against the Atlanta Hawks on January 2 last year. Playing without Stephen Curry, Klay led the Warriors to a 143-141 victory with 54 points (the second highest of his career) on 21-of-39 shooting and 10-of-21 from three-point range. Just for good measure, the display also set a record for most points in NBA history with two or fewer free throws.
As much as Klay delivered breathtaking and remarkable regular season displays, his clutch games performances in the playoffs are where he built his legacy. Let's dive into four of his very best: