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OAKLAND – Klay Thompson remembers the night Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006.
Thompson, a teenager growing up in Los Angeles as the son of an NBA player, was offered tickets to the game. He opted not to go.
Almost 11 years later, Thompson did his best impersonation of a performance he never saw, exploding for 23 of his career-high 60 points in the second quarter on Monday night, propelling the Golden State Warriors to a 142-106 home victory over the Indiana Pacers.
“I never would have thought I was capable of that,” Thompson said of Bryant’s feat. “I don’t know (if I could have matched it Monday). We should keep the game closer next time.”
Thompson’s 60 points came in just 29 minutes, making him even better than Bryant in that regard. He became the first NBA player ever to score at least 60 points without playing 30 minutes.
Thompson, whose previous career high of 52 came in that same game against the Kings on Jan. 23, 2015, hit 21 of his 33 shots and went 8-for-14 on 3-pointers.
The 60-point performance was the first of the NBA season, and first since Bryant went for 60 in his career finale last April.
The last NBA player to score more than 60 points in a game was LeBron James, who had 61 against Charlotte on March 3, 2014. (Reuters)
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