Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was effusive in his praise of Klay Thompson after Friday night's record-setting performance.

Klay Thompson scored 42 points in the Warriors' 116-101 win over the Houston Rockets. Thompson made 12 3-pointers for the second time this season, becoming the first player in NBA history to accomplish the feat.

“This was his second back-to-back (since 2019),” Steve Kerr told reporters after the win. “Obviously, the first one being just before the break and I think that night we limited him to 25 minutes. He looked great out there, not only with the shooting but his rebounding was a factor, his defense. Playing 36 minutes on the second night of a back-to-back. That’s big time.”

Thompson's 42 points were 27 more than any other Warriors player scored. Thompson needed just 19 field-goal attempts to score his 42 points. Golden State was outscored by 17 points during his 12 minutes on the bench.

After missing two full seasons with injuries, Thompson averaged 29.2 minutes in 32 games last season. The four-time champion is up to 32.7 minutes in 48 games during the 2022-2023 campaign.

In nine games during February, Thompson is up to 33.9 minutes per game. The sharpshooter is scoring 28.1 points over his last seven games.

The Warriors will need Thompson to play more minutes going forward. Stephen Curry remains out with a leg injury and will be re-evaluated next week. Andrew Wiggins didn't play Friday because of a personal matter, and Kerr said it was too early to say when the forward would return.

Golden State is technically the No. 9 seed in the West, though the Warriors have the same record as the No. 7 seed New Orleans Pelicans. The Warriors have a 1.5-game edge on the Oklahoma City Thunder, the first team out of the play-in tournament.