Klay Thompson’s Rhapsody, 42 with 12 Threes and the Terrible Shot Chart

Klay Thompson had one of his famously explosive nights, leading the Warriors to a 116-101 win over the Rockets.

The Golden State star was unstoppable, finishing the tournament with 42 points on 12-of-17 3-pointers, 0-of-2 2-pointers, 6-of-6 shots, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 turnovers in 36 minutes of action in a still legendary performance. .

The clock from the three and the 13 dribbles

Starting with the basics: Klay Thompson scored 42 points without stepping on the “drawing board”! The All Star Guard’s 19 shots (including 17 3-point shots) came from perimeter with his shot chart looking like the points in 3-point contest as he attempted 3-points from each side of the court as he did did play…clockwork! Here is his shot chart:

According to InStat Scout, Thompson scored the following:
off screen (Coming off screens): 15 points with 7 possessions
hands off (Pass and Shoot Melee): 10 points in 3 possessions
isolation (one on one): 9 points with 4 possessions
Pick and Roll where he was the ball handler: 2 points in 3 possessions
catch and shoot (Stop Shot): 3 points for 2 possessions

Thompson needed a total of 13 dribbles to score 42 points. You seem… a lot by his standards. But 6 of those came in a basket from him in a one-on-one situation, another 6 also came in a one-on-one and one in a pick and roll situation. In total, excluding 3 periods where he dribbled, there were 9 other occasions where he executed and scored without dribbling.

Thompson finished the game with 1.78 points per possession, an unimaginable number. Even on his 54-point night for the Hawks (a 143-141 Warriors win), he wasn’t nearly as efficient (1.26 points per possession), with his next-best performance that year being the 1.62 points that he scored when he was stopped at 42 points on 12/16. Three points in the Warriors’ victory over The Thunder (141-114)!

Regardless, the only fact is that Thompson looks a lot like… Klay Thompson. He’s a step down from the player he was before his two serious injuries, but he’s still one of the best players in the NBA and certainly one of the best 2-3 shooters in the league.