Payton Pritchard put the Celtics into uncharted territory. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
(Thearon W. Henderson via Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics are unmatched from beyond the arc. With Payton Pritchard’s 3-pointer on Friday against the Phoenix Suns, the Celtics set the NBA record for most 3s in a single season.
The record-breaking shot came quickly on the possession, with Pritchard hitting the shot from multiple feet beyond the arc.
With the bucket, the Celtics passed the 2022-23 Golden State Warriors on the single-season list of 3-pointers made. The Warriors hit 1,363 3s over 82 regular-season games. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson led the way for Golden State. Both players averaged over 10 3-point attempts per game. Curry posted a .427 shooting percentage from beyond the arc that season. Thompson turned in a .412 shooting percentage on 3s.
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The main players behind Boston’s record-setting season weren’t as efficient as Curry and Thompson. Jayson Tatum leads the Celtics with 10.1 3-point attempts per game this season. He has a .348 shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Derrick White was second on the team with 9.1 3-pointers attempted per game. He’s shooting .381 on 3s. Pritchard is the most efficient 3-point shooter for the Celtics this season, averaging 7.9 3s per game and shooting .411 on those attempts.
If the Celtics’ pursuit of the single-season 3-point record sounds familiar, it’s because the team nearly set it last season. The 2023-24 Celtics finished with 1,351 3s, just 12 behind the 2022-23 Warriors. A similar cast of characters starred with the Celtics during the 2023-24 NBA season. Tatum and White once again led the way in 3-point attempts per game.
The Houston Rockets rank fourth on the single-season 3-point list with 1,323. The 2022-23 Celtics are fifth on the all-time single-season list with 1,315 3-pointers.
Celtics approaching another 3-point record
The Celtics already broke one 3-point record, but another could be in their sights. The team already sits second on the single-season list for most 3s attempted, behind the 2018-19 Rockets.
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Entering Wednesday’s game vs. the Miami Heat, Boston sits 85 attempts behind the Rockets for the record.
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2018-19 Houston Rockets (3,721)
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2024-25 Boston Celtics (3,636)
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2022-23 Golden State Warriors (3,540)
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2022-23 Boston Celtics (3,492)
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2023-24 Boston Celtics (3,482)
Including Wednesday’s game, the Celtics have seven more regular-season contests to break the Rockets’ record. The Celtics average an astounding 48.5 3-pointers per game, which leads the NBA. That puts Boston on pace to break the Rockets’ record with a few games to spare.
