OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 07: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates against the Toronto Raptors in the first half during Game Four of the 2019 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 07, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Top 5 games of Klay Thompson’s career: Honorable Mentions
Jan 8, 2019: Klay dropped 43 points in a win against the Knicks, hitting 7 triples and nailing 18 of his 29 shots. He did all of this taking just four dribbles the entire game:
May 26, 2018: With the Golden State Warriors down 3-2 to the Houston Rockets, it was time for “Game 6 Klay” to strike again. He scored 35 points, including 9-of-14 from distance, chipping in six rebounds and four steals. That forced a Game 7 – the infamous “Houston missed so many three-pointers they cried to the league office for a redo” game.
January 21, 2019: Klay couldn’t miss in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers, hitting 17 of his 20 shots (10-for-11 from 3-point range) for a 1,100 percent true-shooting mark. In fact, he started the game 10-for-10 from three-point range, tying the NBA record.
January 27, 2016: Klay Thompson doesn’t get to the free-throw line as often as other star wings because he tends to shoot or pass immediately; he isn’t dribbling into the teeth of the defense often. Yet one night against the Dallas Mavericks he shot 10-for-10 from the free-throw line; toss in 14 field goals, including seven triples, and you have yourself a tidy 45 points for Thompson.
#DubNation</a> <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://t.co/TiKobrQcCK">pic.twitter.com/TiKobrQcCK
<p>— NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1082885393966686210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>January 9, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p><strong>May 26, 2018</strong>: With the Golden State Warriors down 3-2 to the Houston Rockets, it was time for “Game 6 Klay” to strike again. He scored 35 points, including 9-of-14 from distance, chipping in six rebounds and four steals. That forced a Game 7 – the infamous “Houston missed so many three-pointers they cried to the league office for a redo” game.</p>
<p><strong>January 21, 2019</strong>: Klay couldn’t miss in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers, hitting 17 of his 20 shots (10-for-11 from 3-point range) for a 1,100 percent true-shooting mark. In fact, he started the game 10-for-10 from three-point range, tying the NBA record.</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔥🔥 <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://twitter.com/KlayThompson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@KLAYTHOMPSON IN HIS ZONE! 🔥🔥</p>
<p>The <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://twitter.com/warriors?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@warriors shooting guard (44 PTS) ties the NBA record for 3PM to start a game without missing, hitting his first 10 three-point attempts! <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://twitter.com/hashtag/DubNation?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>#DubNation</a> <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://t.co/3m67HL5ytM">pic.twitter.com/3m67HL5ytM
<p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1087592866166251520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>January 22, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p><strong>January 27, 2016</strong>: Klay Thompson doesn’t get to the free-throw line as often as other star wings because he tends to shoot or pass immediately; he isn’t dribbling into the teeth of the defense often. Yet one night against the Dallas Mavericks he shot 10-for-10 from the free-throw line; toss in 14 field goals, including seven triples, and you have yourself a tidy 45 points for Thompson.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 5 - The Splashiest Night </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_440339" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="wp-image-440339 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F535946966.jpeg" alt="Klay Thompson" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/535946966.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/535946966-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">OAKLAND, CA – MAY 30: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after hitting a three-point basket in Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on May 30, 2016 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)</p>
</div>
</div>
<h2>Top 5 games of Klay Thompson’s career: 5. 14 three-pointers vs Chicago Bulls</h2>
<p>Stephen Curry is the greatest shooter of all time, and just this season he officially became the all-time leader in three-pointers made. Yet Curry does not own the record for most three-pointers in a single game; that record instead belongs to his Splash Brother, Klay Thompson.</p>
<p>Two nights before Halloween in 2018, the Golden State Warriors visited the Chicago Bulls and absolutely drubbed them, winning 149-124. Leading the way was Klay Thompson, who scored 52 points, tied for the second-most in his career.</p>
<p>Even more remarkable was that it came on the back of a whopping 14 three-pointers, breaking Steph Curry’s record of 13 and setting the bar, one that has not been reached in the three years since. Overall, he was 14-of-24 from deep, just 4-for-5 from two-point range, and 2-for-2 from the stripe. Here is the record-setting shot:</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">"For NBA history, you got it!"</p>
<p>Two years ago today, <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://twitter.com/KlayThompson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@KlayThompson became the first and only player in league history to ever hit 14 threes in a game. <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://t.co/XGdLtK1tqr">pic.twitter.com/XGdLtK1tqr
<p>— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://twitter.com/warriors/status/1321831909136113665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>October 29, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p>Watch that clip again. Kevin Durant has the ball at the top of the key and could have roasted his defender. Instead, he hits Thompson, who is freed because <em>his MVP teammate Stephen Curry screened his defender out of the play</em>. Thompson was buoyed by his superstar teammates on a night all about him.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 4 - Fearless Warrior </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_358849" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="wp-image-358849 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1155793817.jpeg" alt="Klay Thompson" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1155793817.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1155793817-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors reacts in the first half against the Toronto Raptors during Game Six of the 2019 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 13, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)</p>
</div>
</div>
<h2>Top 5 games of Klay Thompson’s career: 4. Final game against Toronto</h2>
<p>This game is a bittersweet one for Thompson and for Warriors fans – honestly, for fans of basketball in general. This is the game when Thompson tore his ACL, starting this 2.5-year journey away from the basketball court. Now, as he returns, we can look back and remark on what Thompson was giving when his passion was taken away.</p>
<p>The Warriors were on the ropes in the 2019 NBA Finals, down 3-2 with Kevin Durant tearing his Achilles. If ever the Warriors needed some “Game 6 Klay” it was then, and as usual, Thompson stepped up to the plate.</p>
<p>Through 34 minutes of game time, Klay had played 32 minutes, scoring 30 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and a perfect 10-for-10 from the stripe.</p>
<p>Those last two free throws were the most memorable. Thompson got the basketball in transition after a steal and went up for the layup before being fouled by Danny Green. As he landed, his knee buckled, and he was immediately in pain on the ground. His ACL was torn, an injury that would knock him out for a year.</p>
<p>Yet Thompson wasn’t ready to quit. Limping on a leg with a <em>torn ACL</em> he made his way to the free-throw line and drained both free-throws. Then he headed to the locker room, telling head coach Steve Kerr that he would be right back.</p>
<p>He wasn’t, of course, but that was the kind of determination and sacrifice that Thompson brought to winning basketball games, especially in the playoffs. If he hadn’t gotten hurt, he was en route to one of the all-time games in NBA Finals history.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 3 - Setting the pace vs Indiana </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_440334" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="wp-image-440334 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2160,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F628689138.jpeg" alt="Klay Thompson" width="3200" height="2160" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/628689138.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/628689138-768x518.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">OAKLAND, CA – DECEMBER 05: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors looks during a break in the action against the Indiana Pacers in the second half of their NBA basketball game at ORACLE Arena on December 5, 2016 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)</p>
</div>
</div>
<h2>Top 5 games of Klay Thompson’s career: 3. Career-best 60 points vs Pacers</h2>
<p>There have been 78 games in NBA history where a player has scored 60 or more points. Two of those games came in the playoffs, the other 76 in the regular season. The list of names is a who’s who of elite scorers, from Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird.</p>
<p>To reach those heights, players took full advantage of every minute afforded them to pack on the points. Eight players played more than the regulation 48 minutes to reach those lofty totals, and 64 of the 78 needed at least 40 minutes. Remarkably, at the other end of the list, Klay Thompson needed just 29.</p>
<p>That’s right – Klay Thompson scored 60 points, joining the exclusive club while playing just 29 minutes in a blowout win over the Indiana Pacers. Thompson was on fire the entire night, pouring in eight three-pointers and 10 free throws to help propel him to that total.</p>
<p>Perhaps most interestingly for him was the 13-of-19 from two-point range, with both his makes and attempts setting career-highs for him.</p>
<p>What is even more mind-boggling is how Thompson didn’t press to get those 60 points, or even drive things himself. He played his role as an off-ball player for his team, notching 60 points despite having the ball for only 90 seconds total. He took just 11 dribbles! Insane numbers.</p>
<p>https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1244804103533969410</p>
<p>How many points could Thompson have scored if the Pacers had kept the game more competitive and he had played a normal rotation in the fourth quarter? It’s exciting to think about.</p>
<p>70 points on 12 dribbles? 80 points on 14? Thompson can heat up like few others in league history, and being surrounded by some of the best players to ever play in the NBA sets him up for some iconic games.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 - 37-point quarter vs Kings </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_440333" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="wp-image-440333 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2213,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F462320560.jpeg" alt="Klay Thompson" width="3200" height="2213" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/462320560.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/462320560-768x531.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">OAKLAND, CA – JANUARY 23: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after he made a basket in the third quarter of their game against the Sacramento Kings at ORACLE Arena on January 23, 2015 in Oakland, California. Thompson scored 37 points in the third quarter to set a NBA record. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)</p>
</div>
</div>
<h2>Top 5 games of Klay Thompson’s career: 2. 37 points in a single quarter</h2>
<p>Klay Thompson holds the record for most points scored in less than 30 minutes in a game and the record for most three-pointers in a single game. He has another prominent record, and that is for points scored in a single quarter.</p>
<p>In a January game against the Sacramento Kings in 2015, before the Warriors were the “Warriors”, Thompson went absolutely ballistic. After scoring 10 quick points in the first four minutes of the game, Thompson wouldn’t hit another field goal for the rest of the first half.</p>
<p>It didn’t seem to be a night where Thompson was cooking, and after a hot start for the team, the Kings had battled back to make it a five-point game at the half.</p>
<p>Then the third quarter started, and it was the Klay Thompson show.</p>
<p>The Warriors would score 41 points in the quarter, blowing the game open, and 37 of them would come from just one player. Thompson went a perfect 13-of-13 from the field, including nine three-pointers.</p>
<p>This not only set the record for points scored in a single quarter, but also for three-pointers in a quarter, and tied the record for shots in a quarter. Simply put, it was a performance fit to rewrite the record books.</p>
<p>This wasn’t like his 60-point game, where Thompson was simply a play finisher on shots created by his star teammates. Thompson made this happen, one time stealing a Kings pass, dribbling up the court, and pulling up himself for a three-pointer.</p>
<p>He drove to the hoop, he pulled up in the lane, and of course, he sprinted off screens again and again for his patented catch-and-shoot looks. He even went up for an alley-oop in transition off of a Steph Curry pass. It was remarkable stuff.</p>
<div class="embed embed-video"><iframe width="500" height="281" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sc3m3BwfylA?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>No player in NBA history could heat up quite like Klay Thompson.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1: Game 6 Klay </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_440332" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="wp-image-440332 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1088,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F535114076.jpeg" alt="Klay Thompson" width="1600" height="1088" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/535114076.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/535114076-768x522.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – MAY 28: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors drives against Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter in game six of the Western Conference Finals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena on May 28, 2016 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)</p>
</div>
</div>
<h2>Top 5 games of Klay Thompson’s career: 1. Game 6 Klay downs Thunder</h2>
<p>Multiple times on this list you have seen Klay Thompson’s performance in a Game 6 highlighted. He developed a reputation for always showing up in a Game 6 when the Warriors needed him the most.</p>
<p>Three times during their title run, the Warriors fell behind 3-2 in a series, and all three times Thompson stepped up and carried his team with all-time performances.</p>
<p>The first, most impactful time was in the 2016 Western Conference Finals when the Warriors were clawing back from a 3-1 deficit to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and the Thunder came out swinging, not wanting to play a Game 7 in Oakland at Oracle Arena. They led by eight points after three quarters and Steph Curry was just 6-for-16 from the floor.</p>
<p>Then the fourth quarter happened. Klay came out guns blazing, hitting three consecutive three-pointers to open the 4th quarter. With two minutes to go in the game, Andre Iguodala tied things up at 101.</p>
<p>Then 30 seconds later it was Klay nailing the go-ahead three-pointer to put them up 104-101, a lead they would hang on to, forcing Game 7, and an eventual series victory.</p>
<div class="embed embed-video"><iframe width="500" height="281" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/2oOLr5QJAGs?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>In total it was 41 points, including a playoff record of 11 three-pointers in a must-win game against a fearsome opponent. Game 6 Klay was born.</p>
<p>Klay Thompson is not just a beloved Warriors player, but he is a legitimate star with some of the most iconic moments and records in NBA history.</p>
<p>This team has not been the same without him for the past 2.5 years, and it will be an emotional moment when he takes the court on Sunday.</p>
<p>941 days. Welcome back, Klay.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Ranking the 75 best players in NBA history for 75th anniversary" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2021/10/19/ranking-75-best-players-nba-history-75th-anniversary/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/09/top-5-klay-thompson-games/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/10/19/ranking-75-best-players-nba-history-75th-anniversary/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Ranking the 75 best players in NBA history for 75th anniversary </a> </div>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—>">