Klay Thompson Now Has 6 Career Playoff Games With at Least 8 Three-Pointers -- Here's a Look Back at Each Record-Breaking Performance

Klay Thompson Now Has 6 Career Playoff Games With at Least 8 Three-Pointers — Here’s a Look Back at Each Record-Breaking Performance

Klay Thompson has been one of the most prolific shooters in the NBA for the past decade and has made a name for himself as one-half of the ‘Splash Brothers’ duo with Stephen Curry. The two can light it up from beyond the three-point line and it makes for an unstoppable tandem when things go right. 

Since entering the league in 2011, Thompson has made at least 8 three-pointers in a single game on 23 occasions – the third-most in NBA history, behind Damian Lillard (29 such games) and, of course, Curry (74 games). Thompson hit a career-high 14 three-pointers vs. the Chicago Bulls on October 29, 2018. 

Now in his 10th season in the NBA, Klay Thompson is averaging 19.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 0.9 steals per game throughout his career. He shoots 42% from beyond the three-point line and has made 2,213 three-pointers in the regular season – only 10 players in NBA history have more than that. 

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Klay Thompson is No Stranger to Showing Out in the Playoffs

Klay Thompson Now Has 6 Career Playoff Games With at Least 8 Three-Pointers -- Here's a Look Back at Each Record-Breaking Performance
via Instagram (@klaythompson)

When it comes to the playoffs, Klay Thompson is no stranger to lighting it up from beyond the three-point line. He has made 499 career three-pointers in 157 playoff games, which currently ranks 2nd-most all-time behind teammate Stephen Curry, who has 614 career three-pointers made in 146 playoff games.

He averages a career 19.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game in the playoffs and shoots 41% from beyond the three-point line – averaging 3.2 three-pointers made per game. Adding to his playoff resume, he scored at least 30 points in 17 playoff games and a career-high 41 points in 2016.

Perhaps most impressive is his six playoff games with at least 8 three-pointers – which currently stands as an NBA record. He beats out Stephen Curry, Ray Allen, and Damian Lillard, each of whom have hit at least 8 three-pointers in four career playoff games. Let’s take a closer look at Thompson’s record!

6. 8 3PM vs. Spurs on May 8, 2013

On May 8, 2013, Klay Thompson made a total of eight three-pointers vs. the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals. It was the first time in his career that he amassed eight threes in a playoff game and he was just 23 years old – it was also his first career 30-point game in the playoffs. 

Thompson finished Game 2 with 34 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 1 block in 47 minutes of gameplay – he also had 1 turnover, 3 personal fouls, and a plus/minus of +10. He shot 13 of 26 (50%) from the field and 8 of 9 (89%) from long range, but didn’t take a single free throw in the entire game. 

He went 2 of 2 from long range in the first quarter before catching hot in the second quarter – he made 5 of his 6 three-point attempts in the quarter and was 7 of 8 from long range at halftime. His eighth and final three-pointer came in the third quarter. His 34 points was 11 points higher than the next closest player.

The Warriors ended up winning the game 100-91, knotting the series up at 1-1. The Spurs would win Game 3, but the Warriors again knotted up the series in Game 4. Unfortunately for Golden State, they lost the series in six games after the Spurs won Game 5 and Game 6 – officially sending the Warriors home.

Thompson played in all six games of the series and averaged 15.7 points (third on the team), 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 41.5 minutes per game – he shot 42% from the field, 54% from long range, and 100% from the charity stripe. He made a total of 13 three-pointers in the series.

5. 8 3PM vs. Grizzlies on May 13, 2022

On May 13, 2022, Klay Thompson made a total of eight three-pointers vs. the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals – Thompson has a history of showing up big in Game 6’s and has even earned himself the moniker ‘Game 6 Klay.’ The win helped the Warriors clinch the series 4-2. 

Thompson finished Game 6 with 30 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 blocks in 42 minutes of action – he also had 3 turnovers, 2 personal fouls, and a plus/minus of +14. He shot 11 of 22 (50%) from the field and 8 of 14 (57%) from beyond the three-point line, but didn’t take a single free throw the entire game. 

He made three three-pointers in the first quarter and had five made threes at halftime – he added another two three-pointers in the third quarter and one more in the fourth quarter. His 30 points led all scorers – Stephen Curry had 29 points for the Warriors, while the Grizzlies were led by Dillon Brooks’ 30 points. 

Thompson played in all six games of the series and averaged 18.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks in 35.4 minutes per game – he shot 41% from the field, 36% from long range, and 71% from the charity stripe. He had 20 made three-pointers and 55 three-point attempts in the series.

His big game came at the right time – helping the Warriors advance to the Conference Finals, where he had another game with at least eight three-pointers made (more on that below). It proves that, while Klay doesn’t always have a show-stopping performance, he seems to show out when it matters the most. 

4. 8 3PM vs. Mavericks on May 26, 2022

On May 26, 2022, Klay Thompson made a total of eight three-pointers vs. the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. It was a much-needed performance from Thompson, considering he only hit eight three-pointers in the four games prior and had yet to record a 20-point game in the series. 

Thompson finished Game 5 with 32 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal in 37 minutes of gameplay – he also had 1 turnover, 3 personal fouls, and a plus/minus of +18. He shot 12 of 25 (48%) from the field, 8 of 16 (50%) from beyond the three-point line, but didn’t take a single free throw in the entire game. 

His 32 points led all scorers in the game – the Warriors had four other players score at least 15 points, while the Mavericks were led by Luka Doncic (28 ponts) and Spencer Dinwiddie (26 points). It was Thompson’s second game with eight three-pointers and third game with 30+ points in the 2022 playoffs.

Thompson played in all five games of the series and averaged 18.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.4 blocks in 35.3 minutes per game – he shot 47% from the field, 38% from beyond the three-point line, and 86% from the charity stripe. He made 15 of his 40 three-point field goal attempts. 

His 32 points and eight three-pointers in Game 5 helped the Warriors earn their spot in the 2022 NBA Finals – they beat the Nuggets 4-1 in the First Round, the Grizzlies 4-2 in the Semifinals, and the Mavericks 4-1 in the Conference Finals. The Warriors went on to beat the Celtics 4-2 in the NBA Finals.

3. 8 3PM vs. Lakers on May 4, 2023

On May 4, 2023, Klay Thompson made eight three-pointers vs. the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals. He was coming off a Game 1 that saw him make six three-pointers, meaning he made a total of 14 three-pointers in the first two games of the series – which is incredible!

Thompson finished Game 2 with 30 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist in 31 minutes of gameplay – he also had 1 turnover, 2 fouls, and a plus/minus of +28. He ended up shooting 11 of 18 (61%) from the field and 8 of 11 (73%) from beyond the three-point line, but didn’t take a single free throw in the entire game. 

His 30 points led all scorers in the game – Stephen Curry had himself 20 points, while LeBron James led the way for the Lakers with 23 points. It was the 17th time Thompson scored at least 30 points in the playoffs, but his first and only 30-point game of the 2023 playoffs – he last did it on May 26, 2022.

Thompson’s performance was much-needed for a Warriors’ team that lost Game 1 by 5 points – at home, nonetheless. The Game 2 win knotted the series up 1-1, but the Lakers would end up taking control of the series with back-to-back wins in Game 3 and Game 4. The Warriors lost the series in six games (2-4). 

Thompson played in all six games and averaged 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 36.2 minutes per game. He led the team with 24 three-pointers made in the series and shot 38% from beyond the three-point line, but it wasn’t enough to help his team defend their championship. 

2. 9 3PM vs. Rockets on May 26, 2018

On May 26, 2018, Klay Thompson made a total of nine three-pointers vs. the Houston Rockets in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals – again living up to his ‘Game 6 Klay’ moniker. It was a much-needed performance for the Warriors, who were on the brink of elimination and were down 2-3 in the series. 

Thompson finished Game 6 with 35 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals in 39 minutes of gameplay – he also had 1 turnover, 1 personal foul, and a plus/minus of +32. He shot 13 of 23 (57%) from the field and 9 of 14 (64%) from beyond the three-point line, but didn’t take a single free-throw in the entire game.

His 35 points led all scorers in the game – Stephen Curry had 29 points and Kevin Durant had 23 points for the Warriors, while the Rockets were led by James Harden and his 32 points. It was Thompson’s second 30-point game of the 2018 playoffs after scoring 31 points against the Spurs in the first round. 

The Warriors ended up winning the game 115-86 – outscoring the Rockets by 29 points in a game that had the Warriors on the ropes. While Thompson only made three three-pointers in Game 7, the Warriors ended up winning that game as well, securing a spot in the NBA Finals for the fourth-straight season. 

Thompson ended up playing in all seven games of the Western Conference Finals and averaged 19.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks in 38.0 minutes per game. He made 27 of his 55 three-point field goal attempts. The Warriors went on to win their second championship in three years. 

1. 11 3PM vs. Thunder on May 28, 2016

On May 28, 2016, Klay Thompson made a total of 11 three-pointers vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals – once again, living up to his ‘Game 6 Klay’ moniker. At the time, it was the most three-pointers made in a playoff game – until Damian Lillard made 12 in 2021. 

Thompson finished Game 6 with 41 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block in 40 minutes of gameplay – he also had 1 turnover, 4 personal fouls, and a plus/minus of +16. He shot 14 of 31 (45%) from the field, 11 of 18 (61%) from beyond the three-point line, and a perfect 2 of 2 (100%) from the charity stripe. 

His 41 points led all scorers in the game – Stephen Curry finished with 31 points for the Warriors, while the Thunder were led by Kevin Durant (29 points) and Russell Westbrook (28 points). It set a new playoff career-high in points for Thompson and was just one of six 30-point games for him in the 2016 playoffs. 

The Warriors ended up winning Game 6 108-101, despite having their backs against the wall – they were down 2-3 in the series heading into this game. They went on to win Game 7 as well, sending the Thunder home with a 96-88 win and earning a ticket to the NBA Finals for the second time in as many years.

Thompson ended up playing in all seven games of the Western Conference Finals and averaged 24.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.4 blocks in 34.5 minutes per game – he shot 42% from the field, 42% from long range, and 86% from the charity stripe. It was a series to remember for Klay. 

When Will Klay Thompson Do It Again? 

Klay Thompson is capable of hitting 8 three-pointers at any moment and has already done so 29 times in his 10-year career – 23 times in the regular season and a record 6 times in the playoffs. His Golden State Warriors are 20-3 in the regular season and 6-0 in the playoffs when he hits at least 8 three-pointers.

We should also highlight his teammate, Stephen Curry, who has made at least 8 three-pointers in 69 regular season games and four playoff games. The Warriors are 56-13 in the regular season and 4-0 in the playoffs when he hits at least 8 three-pointers – the more he does it, the better off the Warriors are. 

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And it’s no secret that shooters win games in the league today – the Splash Brothers’ style of basketball has resulted in four championships over the past eight seasons. They’ve created one of the greatest dynasties of all-time with Golden State and will have plenty more opportunities to add to that resume.

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