Martin’s Moment: Klay Thompson Loses All Streams Of Consciousness
This week’s moment goes to Klay Thompson, who had way more than just your typical outer-body experience against the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.
The score was 56-51 at halftime. Klay had 13 points. Then it was 60-60 in the third quarter. Then something happened.
Thompson started on a hot streak that can only be understood as abandoning all senses of common consciousness and found a rhythm we’ve never seen before. Klay erupted for an NBA-record NINE three-pointers in the quarter, without missing one, and finished with another record of 37 third-quarter points. He shot 13-for-13 from the field in the third quarter and finished with 50 points when the period was over.
Klay’s third quarter shot chart:
Klay Thompson finished the game with a career-high and tied the NBA-season high with Mo Williams by scoring 52 points (16-for-25 FG, 11-for-15 3FG).
For further context: Klay outscored the Sacramento Kings 37-22 in the third quarter. By himself. He scored 37 of the Warriors’ 41 points in the quarter. During one stretch he scored 19 consecutive points.
Stephen Curry’s reaction.
David Lee’s reaction, as it was happening before his eyes:
Check out Draymond Green’s hilarious reaction here.
We all knew how good of a shooter Klay Thompson was before Friday night, including Klay Thompson. But this was the most memorable individual scoring quarter in NBA history, and it happened because a shooter as talented as Klay reached that fully existential plateau where no thinking had to occur when the ball touched his hands. Anything he put up was going to feel like a good shot, and in that third quarter, everything he put up went in.
This week’s moment will be remembered as one of the great moments in history.