Klay Thompson Games are equal parts mind-blowing and terrifying. On the one hand, what he’s doing is absolutely otherworldly and mesmerizing. When he’s draining shot after shot you have no choice but to stop whatever else it is you’re doing to track where he is on the court at all times.
The 8 best things about Klay Thompson’s latest scoring explosion
Ten threes in a row! Forty-four points! Thompson games are the best.
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
But it’s also horrifying because ... he isn’t the Warriors best player ... or second-best ... or probably third-best ... and it’s up for debate whether he’s fourth or FIFTH.
Yet Thompson erupted the planet with 44 points on 17-of-20 shooting in a blowout win at Staples Center against the Lakers. He tied an NBA record making his first 10 threes in a row, only to miss a heat-check 11th. He didn’t even take a free throw all game. He was too busy dunking or shooting from 30 feet away. And he did all of this in just 27 minutes.
He went completely unconscious from the field — again!
Here are the most ridiculous takeaways from the latest Thompson Game:
1. Thompson had the highest effective field goal percentage with at least 15 shots ever
Effective field goal percentage weighs three-point shots as worth 1.5 times more than two-point shots, because they are. Since Thompson made SO many from downtown and missed only three shots for the entire game, he broke a record.
According to ESPN, Thompson’s eFG% was 1.1, which is the highest ever for any player who’s taken 15 or more shots. Sheesh.
2. Thompson scored 17 points in less than four minutes to start the third quarter
In precisely three minutes and 52 seconds, Thompson drained five threes and a layup to open up the second half of the game. He’d continue by going 2-of-3 from deep in the remaining eight minutes to score 23 points in the frame.
Lord.
3. Thompson’s final made three was ridiculously contested
We know that it doesn’t matter who’s near Thompson when he gets going, but he really proved that against L.A. With the whole team swarming him everywhere, 41 points later, Thompson launched over the top of Ivica Zubac, who is 7’ tall.
The ball didn’t even come close to the rim. It was perfect.
4. Thompson was passing up semi-contested shots for teammates
Thompson surely could’ve fired more than 11 threes up if he wanted to, but he didn’t. Teammates searched him out off drives to the rim to keep feeding him the ball, but he knew when to pass. This wasn’t a total heat-check night, except the last two attempts.
Here Thompson found Curry, for example, to push the Lakers WAY out of reach before the fourth quarter.
5. In the first half, Thompson moved up to No. 19 on the all-time threes list
Thompson’s second-quarter three moved him past Steve Nash and LeBron James on the total threes list with 1,695.
Ray Allen leads all with 2,973.
6. Thompson took his dog, Rocco, with him on the road for the first time
I think we know who made the difference on Monday:
7. DeMarcus Cousins’ reaction to finding out about Thompson’s record was priceless
DeMarcus Cousins: “Ten straight? Shiiiiiit. It’s like a new record every day”
8. Thompson’s 10 made threes weren’t the most he’s scored in a game this year
This is the most unthinkable part. An indescribable night like this, where Thompson scored 44 freaking points on 10-of-11 shooting from three, wasn’t even his best shooting night of the season!
In October, Thompson set the three-point record by draining 14 of them on 24 attempts. He scored 52 points in that one.
So, somehow, this amazing night for almost any other player in the world was just another one for Thompson. He’s really something else.
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