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Three days after Klay Thompson set the NBA record for most 3-pointers by a player in a single game, the Boston Celtics nearly set the record for a team. And they did it against some pretty quality competition as well.
Facing the NBA’s final undefeated team in the 7-0 Milwaukee Bucks, the Celtics won 117-113 and made a franchise-record 24 3-pointers along the way, one short of the NBA record set by the Cleveland Cavaliers last season.
Six different players had multiple 3-pointers made for the Celtics, including all five starters. Kyrie Irving’s 28 points on 10-of-20 shooting and 6-of-12 from deep topped the scoring for Boston, while Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 33 points paced the Bucks.
Celtics come close to setting NBA record
For a few minutes during the game, the Celtics seemed like a great bet to surpass, or at least tie, the Cavaliers’ 3-point record. Gordon Hayward made the team’s 24th 3-pointer with 5:24 left in the fourth quarter, plenty of time for a team to connect twice from deep. After all, the team had been averaging a 3-pointer once every minute and 46 seconds up to that point.
Instead, the Celtics missed five straight three-pointer to end a game, a span of time in which the team’s 10-point lead evaporated to one point with 12 seconds remaining.
The Celtics eventually pulled it out thanks to some odd late-game decisions by the Bucks, but their shot at history had dried up. They had attempted 92 shots in the entire game, 55 of them from deep.
Bucks’ 3-point defense not too impressive
After the game, the Celtics explained their extraordinarily high volume of 3-point shots as a decision brought on by a Bucks defense that had trouble adjusting, according to The Athletic’s Jay King.
The Celtics were less than impressed by Milwaukee’s 3-point defense. Kyrie Irving said the Bucks adjusted some in the second half, but, “It’s fun playing the game in space, I’ll tell you that. So I just wanted them to keep playing that type of defense.”
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) November 2, 2018
Marcus Morris: “In the pick-and-rolls I think the big was lagging back. So it was like almost practice shots for me personally. It was pretty cool though.”
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) November 2, 2018
There might be a reason behind the Bucks having trouble with the 3-pointer. The Cavaliers set the NBA regular season record last season against the Hawks and set the postseason record in the 2016 Eastern Conference semifinals, also with 25 3-pointers and also against the Hawks. The common thread between those two games and tonight: Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, who previously coached the Hawks.
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