OAKLAND, Calif. (Sporting Alert) — Klay Thompson scored a career-high 41 points to carry the Golden State Warriors to a commanding 127-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at ORACLE Arena in Oakland on Saturday night.
Thompson, who shot 14-of-18 from the field and 5-of-7 from three point range, was well supported by Stephen Curry, who addd 31 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and three steals in the win, as the Warrior shot 55-percent from the field and 48-percent from long range.
“I’m not going to lie, it’s a great feat,” Thompson said. “It’s something I’ll look back on one day and say, ‘That’s cool.'”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr added: “It was like the rising star at that position going against the guy who’s been the best for 15 years. It was fun to watch.”
Kobe Bryant, who was 12-of-28. finished with 28 points and six rebounds for the Lakers, who also got 23 points, five rebounds and four assists from Jordan Hill, 15 points from Wesley Johnson and 13 points and six boards from Ed Davis.
Golden State handed the LA Lakers their fourth successive defeat of the season and Bryant and the franchise dropped to 0-4 to start the season for the first time since the 1957-58 season when the club was in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“These guys, man, you can’t blink against this team,” Bryant commented about the Warriors. “When you blink, they bust the game wide open.”
Meanwhile, despite the unhealthily start to the campaign, Bryant still believes that the Lakers showing improvement and will turn things around soon.
“We still have a lot of room for improvement,” he said. “But we’re moving in the right direction.”
At the Target Center in Minneapolis, Jimmy Butler returned to the starting lineup to scored 24 points and Pau Gasol added 20 points and six rebounds in the Chicago Bulls’ narrow 106-105 victory over the Timberwolves.
Chicago (2-1) played without Derrick Rose, who sat out the contest with the sprained ankle he suffered in the defeat to Cleveland.
Kevin Martin scored 33 points and seven rebounds to lead the Timberwolves, while Nikola Pekovic chipped in with 17 points, Anthony Bennett added 12 and Gorgui Dieng collected 10 points and eight boards in the defeat.
Elsewhere on Saturday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder, playing without Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, defeated the Denver Nuggets, 102-91 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, in Oklahoma City.
Serge Ibaka and Perry Jones each scored 23 points for the Thunder, while Kendrick Perkins added 17 off the bench.
Ty Lawson shot 8-of-12 and finished with 25 points to lead the Nuggets in the defeat.
Saturday, November 1 RESULT
Dallas 109, New Orleans 104
Memphis 71, Charlotte 69
Toronto 108, Orlando 95
Miami 114, Philadelphia 96
Washington 108, Milwaukee 97
Atlanta 102, Indiana 92
Brooklyn 102, Detroit 90
Monroe 18 Pts 19,904
Houston 104, Boston 90
Chicago 106, Minnesota 105
Oklahoma City 102, Denver 91
Utah 118, Phoenix 91
Golden State 127, LA Lakers 104
