It happened in Chicago. October 29, 2018. Klay Thompson was in a slump. He’d started the season shooting a miserable 5-of-36 from deep. That's basically 13 percent. For a guy who's arguably the second-best shooter in history, that's like seeing a fish struggle to swim. Then, the United Center happened. In just 27 minutes of play, Klay didn't just break the slump; he shattered the record for the most 3 pointers in a nba game. He finished with 14.
He didn't even play the fourth quarter.
Think about that. If Steve Kerr had left him in, we might be talking about 20. But the NBA is a weird place where records are often the byproduct of a hot hand meeting a desperate defense. Before Klay took the throne, his teammate Stephen Curry held the record with 13. Before Steph, it was Kobe Bryant and Donyell Marshall—an unlikely duo—tied at 12. The evolution of this specific stat tells the story of how basketball stopped being a game of post-ups and became a game of math.
The Night 14 Became the Magic Number
The Warriors were playing the Bulls, and Klay looked different from the jump. You could see it in his eyes. He hit six threes in the first quarter. Then he hit four more in the second. By halftime, he had 10. That’s already a career night for 99% of the league. He was wearing a yellow headband because of a cut he'd suffered earlier in the game, looking like a suburban dad who took a wrong turn into an Olympic sprint.
The energy in the arena shifted. Usually, away crowds hate the visiting team, but when someone is chasing the most 3 pointers in a nba game, the atmosphere turns into a circus. Everyone wants to see history. His teammates were passing up open layups just to find him on the wing. It was hilarious, honestly. Kevin Durant was basically acting as a screen-setter. Steph Curry was cheering louder than the fans.
When that 14th shot went through the net, Klay just jogged back. No massive celebration. Just a man doing his job, even if that job involved breaking a record that had stood for years.
Why the 3-Point Revolution Isn't Just Luck
We used to think 12 was the ceiling. When Kobe Bryant hit 12 against the SuperSonics in 2003, it felt untouchable. Kobe was a midrange assassin who just happened to get hot. Donyell Marshall tying it in 2005 felt like a fluke, a role player having the game of his life. But then the Golden State Warriors happened.
The "Splash Brothers" changed the geometry of the court. It’s not just about being good at shooting; it’s about volume and gravity. When you have a team that prioritizes the three-ball, the defense has to stretch. This creates more room. More room means more open looks. It’s a feedback loop.
Data from Second Spectrum shows that "gravity"—the distance defenders stay from a player—is highest for Curry and Thompson. This means even when they aren't shooting, they are helping the team. But when they are shooting, and the defense loses them for a split second? That's how you get 14 threes.
The Players Who Came Close (And Why They Failed)
Damian Lillard hit 13. Zach LaVine hit 13. It’s a short list. You have to be a specific kind of "on" to get into double digits. Most players hit five or six and the defense starts face-guarding them. To get the most 3 pointers in a nba game, you need three things:
- Extreme skill (obviously).
- A coach who won't bench you for "heat checking" from 35 feet.
- A defense that is either too slow or too stubborn to double-team you.
Lillard’s 13-three-pointer game against the Rockets in 2023 was a masterclass in deep range. He finished with 71 points. He was hitting shots from the logo like they were free throws. But he couldn't get that 14th. Fatigue is real. People forget that shooting 14 or 15 threes in a game is exhausting. Your legs start to go. Your arc flattens.
Keegan Murray of the Sacramento Kings recently put up 12 against the Jazz. He did it on 13 of 15 shooting at one point. It was incredibly efficient. He missed his last few attempts at the record. It's the pressure. When you know you're one shot away from Klay Thompson, the rim starts looking a lot smaller.
The Math Behind the Madness
Let's talk about the 3-point line itself. It’s 23 feet, 9 inches at the top of the arc and 22 feet in the corners. In the 80s, teams might shoot five threes a game. Today, guys like James Harden or Luka Doncic might shoot 15 by themselves.
The league average for 3-point attempts has skyrocketed. In 2012, teams averaged about 18 attempts per game. By 2024, that number pushed toward 35. When you double the attempts, you're going to break the records. It's inevitable. But hitting 14? That requires a shooting percentage that defies logic. Klay shot 14-of-24. That’s 58 percent from deep. Most players are happy to hit 58 percent of their layups.
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Could Anyone Hit 15 or 16?
Honestly, yeah. It’s going to happen. The way the game is played now, with "positionless" basketball and centers like Victor Wembanyama or Chet Holmgren shooting from deep, the floor is wider than ever.
Who does it?
Steph Curry is the obvious choice, but he’s getting older. He focuses more on winning than records these days.
Luka Doncic? He takes enough shots, but he’s more of a volume scorer than a pure sharpshooter.
Maybe someone like Tyrese Haliburton or even a young flamethrower like Cam Thomas could get hot on a random Tuesday in January.
The trick is the "blowout factor." If you hit 12 threes by the end of the third quarter, your team is probably up by 30 points. Most coaches will pull their stars to avoid injury. That’s what happened to Klay. He could have had 18. He was hot. But Kerr pulled him. To get 15 or 16, you need the game to be close enough that the star has to stay on the floor, but not so close that they can't afford to hunt for the record.
The Forgotten Records
Before the 3-point line was a staple, there were legends who never got the chance. Larry Bird once said if he played today, he’d shoot 10 threes a game. He only averaged 1.9 for his career. Imagine Bird with the green light of a modern shooting guard.
Then there’s the "Most Threes in a Half" record. Klay holds that too (10). And the "Most Threes in a Quarter" (9). Klay again. It’s wild how much he owns this specific niche of basketball history. People talk about LeBron's longevity or Jordan's rings, but Klay's "peaks"—those moments where he becomes a literal flamethrower—are unmatched.
How to Watch for the Next Record-Breaking Performance
If you want to catch the next person to challenge the most 3 pointers in a nba game, you have to look at the schedule. Look for high-pace teams playing against bottom-tier defenses.
The "Pace" stat matters. The more possessions a team has, the more chances to shoot. If the Indiana Pacers are playing the Washington Wizards, that's a prime environment. Neither team plays much defense, and both want to run.
Also, watch for the "Contract Year" energy. Players looking for a max deal tend to take more risks. They want the highlights. They want the Twitter (X) clips.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
To really understand the mechanics of these high-volume shooting nights, stop looking at the box score and start looking at the "shot quality."
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- Track the "Catch and Shoot" vs. "Pull Up" stats. Klay Thompson is the king of catch-and-shoot. He famously had a game where he scored 60 points with only 11 dribbles. That is the most efficient way to break the 3-point record.
- Monitor Defensive Rotations. Records happen when a defense "drops" on screens. If a big man stays in the paint instead of coming out to the perimeter, a shooter will keep firing until they're forced to stop.
- Watch the First Quarter. Almost every double-digit 3-point game starts with at least four or five makes in the first 12 minutes. If a shooter hits three in a row in the first six minutes, cancel your plans and stay tuned.
The 14-three-pointer mark is a monument to a specific era of basketball. It represents the peak of the Golden State dynasty and the shift in how the world views the long ball. While someone will eventually hit 15, Klay’s night in Chicago remains the gold standard for pure, unadulterated shooting heat. It wasn't just a game; it was a statement that the game had changed for good.
To keep track of these stats in real-time, the best move is to follow live tracking sites like Basketball-Reference or the NBA’s own advanced stats portal. They update "active" records mid-game, so you'll know exactly how close a player is to history before the fourth quarter even begins.