Thompson's Historic Night Capped Off With A Rose
OAKLAND (CBS SF) – It seemed like a bit of an odd way to cap off a historic night of NBA basketball.
Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who scored 60 points in a record 29 minutes Monday night, was presented with a rose from team owner Joe Lacob at his post-game news conference.
Thompson, who sat out the entire fourth quarter, became the first Warrior to score 60 or more in a game since Rick Berry did it in the 1970s.
His 40 points in the first half were the most by anyone before intermission since the Lakers' Kobe Bryant had 42 points against the Wizards on March 28, 2003.
Thompson, who has become the somewhat forgotten middle child of the famed Golden State Warriors Splash Brothers with the addition of superstar Kevin Durant in the off-season, hit on 21-for-33 shots overall, 8-of-14 on 3-pointers and converted 10 of 11 free throws.
Teammate and elder Splash Brother Steph Curry knows a thing or two about shooting. And even he was left nearly speechless.
"I'll put money on it that'll never be touched again in the history of basketball," Curry said.
Curry, Durant and their teammates celebrated Thompson's offensive barrage on the court and on the bench. They gave each other high-5s, danced on the bench, leaped into the air and joined in with the crowd as it chanted "Klay, Klay, Klay" as shot after shot went in.
"I ran out of real estate to try to keep my celebration going," Curry told reporters.
Durant shook his head in disbelief when asked for a reaction after the 142-106 romp over the Pacers
"I never seen anything like it," he said.
Thompson got off to a slow start to the season, but has found his groove in the last dozen games as the Warriors have rolled to an 18-3 record.
As his season-long shot chart shows, Thompson has been deadly from all over the court.
Thompson is often his toughest critic. But even he had to admit it was quite a night.
"I'm proud of myself, I had zero turnovers tonight," he said. "I felt every shot I took was a good shot…It started for me when I got a few layups in the beginning of the game. It opens up my game…When I'm active off the ball that's when I'm at my best."