Warriors set NBA record with 55-point 1st quarter in rout
Take a look at every bucket from Golden State’s record-breaking quarter.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Golden State Warriors set an NBA record by scoring 55 points in the first quarter on their way to a 157-101 rout of the Portland Trail Blazers in their regular-season finale on Sunday to secure the sixth seed in the Western Conference.
“Over the past few weeks, we’ve performed exceptionally,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “I believe we’ve clinched eight out of ten games. Today, the team was completely focused from the get-go. They understood the stakes and commanded the game right from the start. We hope this momentum continues into next week.”
Klay Thompson, after scoring 20 points, made history by becoming only the third NBA player to hit a minimum of 300 3-pointers in one season.
“Two minutes before the game, I took Klay aside and told him to ‘just let it happen’,” Kerr recalled. “He responded, ‘no problem Coach’, and proceeded to make five 3-pointers within the first five minutes. That’s Klay for you.”
Stephen Curry, a teammate who has accomplished it four times, and James Harden are the other two players.
Thompson set the record for the most 3-pointers by a player this season, achieving 301 by scoring six in Sunday’s finale.
“Leading the league in 3s made is cool,” said Thompson. “I’ve never accomplished this before. It attests to the hard work I’ve put in over the past years, transforming some tough times into beautiful moments.”
Curry topped the score chart for the Warriors with 26 points, hitting five three-pointers, and also claimed five rebounds. Moses Moody contributed an additional 25 points from the bench, and Jordan Poole scored 21 points and secured four rebounds for Golden State, whose record stands at 44-38.
In the final game of the season for Portland (33-49), Skylar Mays took the lead with 21 points and 11 assists. Shaedon Sharpe contributed 18 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, while Jeenathan Williams chipped in with 17 points. Regular starters Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Jusuf Nurkic, and Jerami Grant were all benched due to injuries.
After the first quarter, Golden State was leading with a score of 55-27 and by halftime, they were ahead with a score of 84-53.
