Klay Thompson hits playoff-record 11 3s, says he should've had more

ByTim MacMahon ESPN logo
Sunday, May 29, 2016

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson wasn't necessarily satisfied with setting the NBA playoff record with 11 3-pointers on Saturday.

"I should have had at least 13 because I missed some wide-open looks early," Thompson said with a straight face after his 41-point performance helped the Warriors extend their historic season by sending the Western Conference finals to a Game 7 with a 108-101 victoryover the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The less-heralded Splash Brother, sharing the backcourt with unanimous MVPStephen Curry,will have to settle for one of the most impressive clutch-shooting nights in NBA history.

Thompson went 11-of-18 from beyond the 3-point line, with several of the swishes coming from far beyond the arc. His record-setting 10th made 3 was a straightaway 28-footer over Thunder point guardRussell Westbrook, and itpulled the Warriors within four points with 4 minutes, 57 seconds remaining. Thompson's last bucket was a 25-footer in transition from the right wing that gave Golden State the lead for good with 1:23 remaining.

Thompson scored 19 points in the fourth quarter -- one more than the Thunder combined -- to carry the 73-win Warriors to a comeback from an eight-point deficit. He was 5-of-6 from 3-point range in the final frame, of which he played every second.

"Obviously, Klay Thompson was ridiculous," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "I mean, the shooting was some of the most incredible shooting you'll ever see."

Added Curry, who scored 31points: "All Klay needs is a sliver of daylight. The shots he made tonight were huge, obviously. But they were shots that he had his feet underneath him, and he just had all the confidence in the world. He understood the moment."

The previous playoff record of nine 3-pointers made was shared by Ray Allen, Vince Carter, Rex Chapman and Jason Terry. That was news to Thompson, whose 41 points were his career playoff high.

"I had no idea what the record was," said Thompson, whose 276 3-point field goals in the 2015-16 regular season rank third in NBA history, behind Curry's totals from the past two seasons. "I didn't even know I had 11 3s. I was just trying to be aggressive, whether that was getting to the rim or getting a good shot from beyond the perimeter."

"Feels good to own a record, but it will feel much better if we close them out on Monday," he said of the Thunder.

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