mobile app bar

“Klay Thompson missed a practice the day before his 60 point game”: Former Warriors teammate David West spills the beans on Thompson’s iconic performance vs Indiana Pacers in 2016-17

Arjun Julka
Published

"Klay Thompson missed a practice the day before his 60 point game": Former Warriors teammate David West spills the beans on Thompson's iconic performance vs Indiana Pacers in 2016-17

Former Warriors teammate David West gives inside details about Klay Thompson’s iconic 60-point game against the Indiana Pacers.

5th December 2016 is one of the most iconic days in NBA history. During a regular-season game between the Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers, shooting guard Klay Thompson had one of the greatest and unreal games in league history.

Thompson torched 60-points on 11 dribblers in a mere 29 minutes. The 3x NBA champion was 63.6% from the field, 57.1% from the 3-point line, and 90.9% from the free-throw line.

In what many believe could have been the perfect performance to break Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game record. Thompson exited the game with 1:22 left in the 3rd quarter.

Thompson is the first player in the shot-clock era to score 60 points with fewer than 30 minutes played. The former 3-point contest champion became one of the few players to have 40-points in the first half of the game.

Also read: “I tried to stab him, and almost did!”: Klay Thompson reveals scary details of a ‘stabbing incident’ from high school in a recent Instagram live session

While talking about his once-in-a-lifetime performance, Thompson said, “I felt like every shot I took was a good shot,” Thompson said. “It’s the way I was playing off of my teammates, too. It’s easy to get open looks when you’re running off Zaza [Pachulia] and Draymond [Green] all night, and I think it started for me when I got a few layups in the beginning. That always opens up my game, and whenever I’m active off the ball, that’s when I’m at my best.”

David West reveals some interesting details about Klay Thompson’s pre-game preparation

West played two seasons with the Dubs and won championships in both his years at the Bay. While talking about Thompson’s 60-point piece at Oracle, the 40-year old divulged some intriguing details about Thompson’s preparation going into the game.

West said, “That night he had 60, Klay had missed shootaround or practice the day before… He probably said like five words the whole day before the game. Then came out, let off, and didn’t do no dribbling.”

Thompson joined Rick Barry, Wilt Chamberlain, and Joe Fulks as just the fourth player in Golden State history to score 60 points. This is not the first time the 5x All-Star has impressed us with his efficient shooting.

Also read: “Dog, they pay me to shoot the ball!”: Warriors legend Klay Thompson on why he never hesitates to let it fly

History is evidence that if Thompson gets hot, there is literally nothing anybody can do to stop him. His 37-points in a single quarter and most no of three-pointers scored in a game which is 14 are prime examples of his capabilities.

About the author

Arjun Julka

Arjun Julka

x-iconlinkedin-icon

Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. Basketball isn’t just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. When it comes to the GOAT debate, the TSR author feels LeBron James is yet to receive a lot of his due but cannot deny marveling at Michael Jordan’s resume.

Read more from Arjun Julka

Share this article