Klay Thompson made history by setting a National Basketball Association record Friday with 37 third quarter points as the Golden State Warriors hammered the Sacramento Kings 126-101.
Thompson finished with 52 points after leaving at the 9:28 mark of the fourth quarter but not before he had set a league record for most points in a quarter.
Thompson carried the Warriors on his back in the third in front of a crowd of 19,600 at the Oracle Arena as he single-handedly turned a Kings’ lead into a Golden State blowout.
“I never shot like that,” Thompson said. “Every time I touched the ball I was going to shoot it.
“Honestly, I was just really focused, hitting some tough shots and in a great flow.
“Even I am shocked. That’s crazy.”
Thompson made all 13 of his shots in the third, with nine of them coming from three-point range.
The previous record was 33 points in a quarter by George Gervin in 1978 and Carmelo Anthony in 2008.
During a 5:25 span of the third, Thompson poured in 19 straight Golden State points and potted five triples during the blitz. He outscored the Kings 37-22 in the period.
Thompson finished 16-of-25 from the field overall and was 11-of-15 from three point range.
Thompson was also just one three-pointer away from matching Kobe Bryant and Donyell Marshall’s record of 12 triples in a contest.
With 4.9 seconds in the third, Thompson hit two free throws that gave him 50 points for the game to become the 12th player in franchise history to score at least that number.
His previous career highs were 41 points against the Los Angeles Lakers in November and eight three-pointers last season in Sacramento.
His teammates congratulated him by drenching him with an ice cold bucket of Gatorade in the Warriors’ dressing room.
“They just kept wanting to see the show. That’s what they kept telling me,” Thompson said of his teammates.
Marreese Speights had 19 points off the bench, while Stephen Curry added 10 points and 11 assists for Golden State, who have won four straight and 12 of its last 13 games.
DeMarcus Cousins finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Kings, who have lost six consecutive games. – Agence France-Presse
