Klay Thompson Scores 42, Warriors Down Memphis 111-107 [VIDEO]
ANTONIO GONZALEZ, AP Basketball Writer
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Klay Thompson turned a meaningless game for the Golden State Warriors — and a huge one for the Memphis Grizzlies — into must-see TV for a moment.
Memphis almost made everybody tune in for another reason.
Thompson scored 26 of his 42 points in a sensational second quarter, and the Warriors held off a frantic rally to beat the undermanned Grizzlies 111-107 on Monday night.
The All-Star guard, who set an NBA record with 37 points in a quarter against Sacramento in January, outshined teammate and MVP candidate Stephen Curry with another streaky shooting stretch. Thompson finished 15 of 21 from the floor, including 8 of 10 from 3-point range, to stir memories of his unprecedented performance.
"It felt different," Thompson said. "I don't think I'll ever get 37 points in a quarter again."
Unlike last time, Thompson's terrific touch was overshadowed by his team's sloppy finish.
The top-seeded Warriors (66-15), who are merely trying to tune up for the playoffs, led by 32 points in the third quarter before resting their regulars. Memphis outscored Golden State 41-18 in the fourth quarter, moving within four in the final seconds to give the game a little drama.
"We did a lot of great things," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "We did a lot of stupid things."
The Grizzlies (54-27) slipped to sixth in the Western Conference standings, including a game behind San Antonio (55-26) and Houston (55-26) in the Southwest Division. Memphis hosts Indiana in Wednesday's season finale, though the Grizzlies might've missed their shot at winning the franchise's first division title.
"We didn't compete," Memphis center Marc Gasol said. "I don't know if everybody realized how important that game was."
Besides improving their playoff seeding, the Grizzlies are trying to get healthy.
Gasol (sprained left ankle) and forward Jeff Green (lower-back tightness) played through injuries, while point guard Mike Conley (sprained right foot) and swingman Tony Allen (strained left hamstring) sat out.
Gasol had just six points and four rebounds in 21 minutes. Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger relied on his backups to bring them back after going behind big in the third quarter.
"It certainly makes the locker room feel a lot better the energy that they played with and the force that they played with. It was fun to see guys smile," Joerger said.
Not that anybody could stop Thompson.
Thompson made his first eight shots from the floor, mixing in mid-range jumpers and crafty layups with his usual 3-point prowess. He scored 11 points in the first quarter to help Golden State go ahead 36-21, then showed off his near-unstoppable stroke.
Thompson made 10 of 13 shots in the second quarter, including 6 of 7 from 3-point range. He was in such a groove that his teammates turned down open shots, frantically looking to get him the ball, while the announced sellout crowd of 19,596 chanted, "Klay! Klay! Klay!"
In a nearly 9-minute span, Thompson scored 23 straight points for the Warriors. He ended the half with 37 points, though the sloppy play by his teammates left the Warriors with a sour taste.
"It was like this frenzy to get the ball to Klay and we end up turning it over three or four times, and instead of being up 30 at the half we were up 22," Kerr said. "And as we saw in the fourth quarter, 22 in the NBA is not insurmountable."
HOMECOURT ADVANTAGE
The Warriors, who have already secured homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs, have won 17 in a row at Oracle Arena. They're a league-best 38-2 at home, becoming the 11th team to record at least 38 home wins. The 1985-86 Boston Celtics own the NBA record for most home victories, going 40-1.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Memphis went 1-2 against Golden State this season. ... Conley has missed three straight games, and Allen has sat out eight in row. It's unclear when they'll return.
Warriors: Only 10 teams have ever won 38 home games in a season. ... The franchise record for consecutive home victories is 19, accomplished earlier this season.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Host Indiana on Wednesday.
Warriors: Host Denver in regular-season finale Wednesday.
(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
