15 best NBA moments from 2016
By Adam McGee
9. Klay goes for 60
When Kevin Durant joined the Golden State Warriors as a free agent in the summer, if it wasn’t the prospect of the whole team finding their rhythm at once that struck terror in to many around the NBA, it was the reality that the chances of at least one of Golden State’s stars being on at any given time had increased exponentially.
With Stephen Curry‘s ability to explode to put his team out of reach already well-documented, and Kevin Durant frequently mentioned as one of the greatest scorers the league has ever seen, Klay Thompson often becomes something of the forgotten man.
A 37-point quarter against the Sacramento Kings in 2015 proved that Thompson can be just as prolific as his teammates, but he went even better in a December meeting with the Indiana Pacers this year.
Thompson finished with 60 points on 21-33 from the field, and 8-14 on 3-point attempts. Coming in only 29 minutes of play, Thompson played to a 100 point pace, averaging 2.07 points per minute as opposed to Wilt Chamberlain‘s 2.08 for his own legendary outburst.
Even more impressive again, Thompson achieved his tally by covering a game-high distance (2.34 miles), with only 57 touches and 11 dribbles. There may be more memorable scoring performances, but you’ll be hard pushed to find a more efficient one.