Golden State Guard Klay Thompson Scores 60 Points in 29 Minutes

Golden State Guard Klay Thompson Scores 60 Points in 29 Minutes

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson scored 60 points in only 29 minutes of play against the Indiana Pacers Monday night. Thompson did not even play in the 3rd quarter in a Warriors win of 142 to 106 for the Pacers. Thompson’s 60 points are the most since Los Angeles Lakers‘ guard Kobe Bryant scored 62 points in 2005. However, more impressive, according to Elias Sports, Klay Thompson is the first player in the Shot Clock Era to score 60 points in a game with fewer than 30 minutes played.

Klay Thompson is the First Player in Shot Clock Era to Score 60 points in Less Than 30 Minutes Played

Thompson went for 40 points in the first half on 15 for 22 shooting. Thompson was five-for-nine on three pointers and five-for-five from the free-throw lane just in the first half. The lead for the Warriors was 30 points at half-time.  It was the highest scoring performance by any NBA player this season, the highest of Thompson’s career and the most by a Golden State player in 42 years.

Thompson’s teammate Stephen Curry just sat back and admired what Thompson was accomplishing on Monday night. Thompson’s 60 points through three quarters were the second most through three quarters of play in the last twenty seasons. Thompson did not even play the last quarter. However, Thompson did set a record for most points in less than 30 minutes.

NBA Individual Scoring Records

The most points in a game were scored by Wilt Chamberlain with 100 on March 2 1969. The second most points scored in a game were by Kobe Bryant with 81 on January 22, 2006. Chamberlain also scored 78 points on December 8, 1961. Chamberlain also holds the record for third highest points of 73 with David Thompson, which Chamberlain equaled twice. Twenty-three players have scored at least 60 points in NBA history. However, only four players have scored more than 60 points on more than one occasion: Wilt Chamberlain (32 times), Kobe Bryant (six times), Michael Jordan (five times) and Elgin Baylor (four times).

However, no player has scored 60 points in only 29 minutes of play. Congratulations to Klay Thompson.