The Golden State Warriors are full of players that can go off on any given night, and Monday was Klay Thompson's night. The shooting guard set an NBA record with 14 three-pointers, including 10 in the first half, as the Warriors blew past the Chicago Bulls, 149-124, at the United Center. Thompson finished with 52 points in 27 minutes, as he broke the three-point record that was set by his teammate, Steph Curry, a season ago. He shot 18-of-29 from the floor, helping the Warriors shoot 55 percent from the floor overall and 53 percent from three-point range.
Thompson broke Curry's record on a three-pointer with five minutes remaining in the third quarter, beating the mark that was set by his teammate on November 7th, 2016 against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Warriors led by as many as 44 points, helped out by the breakout performance of Thompson, who hadn't scored more than 19 points this season coming in to play. In fact, he shot just 5-of-36 from three-point range in the first seven games of the season, but shot 14-of-24 from beyond the arc on the road Monday.
Thompson did not play in the fourth quarter and finished the first half with 36 points, leading his team to a 92-50 halftime lead. That marks the second-highest scoring half for an NBA team, falling short of the Phoenix Suns scoring 107 in the first half of a 173-143 win over the Denver Nuggets in 1990. Golden State also set an NBA record as a team with 17 three-pointers through two quarters.
Curry also played a role in the Warriors' rout with 23 points, while Kevin Durant had 14 points and eight assists on the night. Rookie Alfonzo McKinnie took advantage of some playing time in his hometown with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds, as the Warriors improved to an Western Conference-leading 7-1.
The Bulls were led by 21 points apiece from Zach LaVine and Antonio Blakeney, but they were without Denzel Valentine, Kris Dunn, Bobby Portis, and Lauri Markkanen on this night. The 2-5 Bulls will host the Nuggets tomorrow night, while the Warriors return home to host the New Orleans Pelicans that same night.
Thompson broke Curry's record on a three-pointer with five minutes remaining in the third quarter, beating the mark that was set by his teammate on November 7th, 2016 against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Warriors led by as many as 44 points, helped out by the breakout performance of Thompson, who hadn't scored more than 19 points this season coming in to play. In fact, he shot just 5-of-36 from three-point range in the first seven games of the season, but shot 14-of-24 from beyond the arc on the road Monday.
Thompson did not play in the fourth quarter and finished the first half with 36 points, leading his team to a 92-50 halftime lead. That marks the second-highest scoring half for an NBA team, falling short of the Phoenix Suns scoring 107 in the first half of a 173-143 win over the Denver Nuggets in 1990. Golden State also set an NBA record as a team with 17 three-pointers through two quarters.
Curry also played a role in the Warriors' rout with 23 points, while Kevin Durant had 14 points and eight assists on the night. Rookie Alfonzo McKinnie took advantage of some playing time in his hometown with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds, as the Warriors improved to an Western Conference-leading 7-1.
The Bulls were led by 21 points apiece from Zach LaVine and Antonio Blakeney, but they were without Denzel Valentine, Kris Dunn, Bobby Portis, and Lauri Markkanen on this night. The 2-5 Bulls will host the Nuggets tomorrow night, while the Warriors return home to host the New Orleans Pelicans that same night.
