Klay Thompson made 12 three-pointers in the Warriors 141-114 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. That’s tied for the third-best single-game total of all time, behind Zach Lavine (13), Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson himself, who made 14 against the Bulls in 2018. Thompson even did it in just three quarters, sitting out the entire fourth on that record-breaking night.
The Warriors need to lean on Thompson’s scoring with Steph Curry out indefinitely, and he proved he was up to the challenge. Thompson prides himself on delivering in big spots, which is where the “Game 6 Klay” name comes from. He’s shot 47.7 percent from three-point range in 13 Game 6s, and the Warriors are 10-3 in those games.
One such Game 6 was against the Thunder in 2016, when he made a then-record 11 triples in a close win. Tonight, he torched the Thunder again, starting hot by shooting 4-5 from deep in the fourth quarter, and finished hot, making his last five triples.
Thompson is averaging 20.8 points this year, but that doesn’t reflect how dominant he’s been since the Warriors’ Christmas Day win over the Memphis Grizzlies, Thompson’s
archenemies.
Since December 25, Thompson is averaging 26.5 points and making 44 percent of his threes. The Warriors are 10-6 when he plays. His slow start masked that two years after his Achilles tear, he’s back.
If Golden State is going to survive Curry’s absence, they’re going to need his fellow Splash Brother to score. So far he’s up to the task.
