Warriors' Klay Thompson sets NBA record with 37 points in a quarter
Klay Thompson set an NBA record for points in a quarter by scoring 37 points in the third quarter during Golden State's 126-101 home victory over Sacramento on Friday.
The previous mark of 33 points was shared by two renowned scorers: George Gervin and Carmelo Anthony. Gervin set his mark in the second quarter of an April 9, 1978 game between the Spurs and the New Orleans Jazz. Anthony's outburst came in the third quarter of a Dec. 10, 2008 game between the Nuggets and Timberwolves.
[youtube:http://youtu.be/jlQHEusnH60]
There's hot, there's scorching and there's whatever you want to call Thompson. The sharp-shooting two guard shot a perfect 13-for-13 from the field, 9-for-9 from beyond the arc, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line during his record-setting period.
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"I can't believe I own an NBA record," Thompson told CSN Bay Area during a post-game interview. "God is good. I'm so blessed to be here and healthy. Hopefully it stands for a long time. That was crazy. I don't know what happened. ... I've never shot like that."
Thompson's nine three-pointers in the third quarter also set an NBA record, eclipsing the previous record of eight three-pointers in a quarter, which had been shared by Michael Redd and Joe Johnson.
Here's a look at Thompson's third quarter shot chart. Note that Thompson's True Shooting percentage (TS%) in the third quarter was 133.3 percent. His TS% for the game was 88.4 percent.
for the most points in a game this season with 52. Remarkably, Thompson asked out of the game with 9:27 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Warriors leading by 30 points. He finished with 52 points on 16-for-25 shooting, 11-for-15 three-point shooting and 9-for-10 from the line. He added five assists, two rebounds, four steals and two blocks in 33 minutes.
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"I got real good looks early," Thompson said of his third quarter. "I made about four in a row. ... Every time I touched it, I was going to shoot it. Lucky me, I rattled off about six in a row. ... I was really focused. I was hitting some tough ones. I was in a great flow."
This was one of the all-time cases of a single player totally changing the course of the game. Golden State held a 56-51 halftime lead and the score was tied at 58 before Thompson's first points of the second half. In the third quarter, Thompson outscored all other players on both teams, 37-26. At various points, he scored 19 consecutive points and 18 consecutive points for the Warriors.
• VIDEO: Highlights of Thompson's record-setting quarter against the Kings
Needless to say, Thompson smashed his previous career-high of 41 points, set against the Lakers on Nov. 1, 2014.
Video via YouTube user Basketball Acumen
