Klay Thompson Scores 44 Points as Warriors Rout Lakers, 130-111, in Revenge Game

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

The Lakers got it served on ice as Klay Thompson scored 44 points, and the Golden State Warriors routed the shorthanded Lakers, 130-11, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Staples Center.

The Lakers blew out the Warriors at Oracle on Christmas Day, but the victory proved to be costly in the long run, as they lost leaders LeBron James and Rajon Rondo to injuries.

Without three of their key contributors in James, Rondo and Lonzo Ball, the Lakers faded in the second half as Thompson went off for 23 in the third quarter. 

"A little bit," admitted Thompson when asked if the Christmas Day lost gave he and the Warriors an extra motivation in the rematch. "Obviously, they were shorthanded, missing their point guard and their best player, but still, you can't feel sorry because teams aren't going to feel sorry for us."

Thompson tied an NBA record, sinking ten consecutive three-pointers before finally missing his one and only shot from beyond-the-arc late in the third quarter. 

"I've never hit 10 3s in a row in a game. That's hard to do," Thompson said. "t just happened to be on tonight and I'm happy I was able to do it in front of my family."

Thompson, one of the game's most efficient scorers, scored his 44 his points in just 27 minutes. He was 10-of-11 from the three-point line and 17-for-20 overall.

"I don't think the league has seen that very often," said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. "Has anybody ever gone 17-for-20 and 10-for-11 from three? It was just one of those night."

Kevin Durant had 20 points, and Steph Curry had 11 points and 12 assists in the win.

"Anything Steph [Curry], Klay, Draymond [Green], and Cuz [DeMarcus Cousins] do at this point, it's just kind of expected. When he has a big game, it's just like, 'Alright, let's move on to the next one.' I'm sure he'll have another big game real soon."

The Warriors jumped out to an early first quarter lead, but the Lakers came storming back to tie the game at 10-10.

The Lakers trailed by 10 at halftime, but had no answers for Thompson, who was wide-open for most of his three-point attempts throughout the game, as the Warriors extended their lead to 36 before Kerr took out his starters.

"I think the Warriors showed why they're the champs," said Lakers head coach Luke Walton. "They're starting to find their stride, not just against us, but against the league. Once the Warriors found a rhythm, they're near impossible to shut off."

Ivica Zubac led the Lakers with 18 points. Brandon Ingram scored 17 points. Kyle Kuzma had 16, and Michael Beasley chipped in 15 points off the bench.

"Obviously we are shorthanded and down a couple of play makers," said Kuzma. "Anytime you are down like that it's going to affect your offense, and we just didn't make shots tonight."

In just his second game back from a torn Achilles injury suffered last season, DeMarcus Cousins had eight points, nine rebounds and five assists in 21 minutes of action.

"It didn't surprise me that he struggled a little bit in his second game," said Kerr of Cousins. "In the first game, you're running on adrenaline. In the second game you might be a little sore or a little tired, but I was pleased with his effort."

Despite Cousins' struggles, the Warriors still proved why they are the two-time reigning NBA Champions, and winners of the Larry O'Brien trophy three of the last four season. 

Golden State had 41 assists, eight steals, and 50 rebounds. All increasingly more than the Lakers had (20 assists, one steal, 42 rebounds).

The Lakers fell to 5-9 without LeBron James.

The Lakers have lost four straight games to the Warriors at Staples Center. Meanwhile, since their Christmas Day loss to the Lakers, Golden State is 10-2, and currently on an eight-game winning streak. 

Curry Goes Sledding

Late in the third quarter, Steph Curry was alone on the court for a breakaway dunk, but he slipped inside the painted area, prompting the soldout Staples Center crowd to stand up and cheer. Curry recovered and retreated to the corner where he shot an air-ball from three-point range, only fueling the fans further.

Wounded Warriors

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and backup forward Jordan Bell got in a heated exchange on the sidelines during the game.

"Coach will always, especially the younger guys in the league, definitely be on them a little bit more because he expects a lot out of them," Durant said. "He lets us know what he sees out there and if you have something to say to him back, he's not going to be afraid to go back at you. He sees the potential in him. That stuff happens, so we'll move on."

Notes and Next

LeBron James (left groin strain), Rajon Rondo (right finger), and Lonzo Ball (left ankle sprain) all missed the game. Alex Caruso was recalled before the game from the G-League.