What a wild NBA regular season! As usual, we got to witness the good, the bad, and the ugly...plus the incredible and of course, the silly. Behind the unforgettable moments are raw numbers. As a nerd for stats and trivia, I’ve dug through the numbers to highlight 100 of the most interesting stats and facts from the 2021-22 season.
This is part one of a four-part retrospective, and the first edition of what will become a weekly feature next season. There’s no better way to kick off this series than with a look back at all of the most fascinating three-point firsts, records and milestones set in 2021-22. I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I enjoyed putting them together!
Even casual hoops fans know that a surge in 3-pointers has changed the NBA game, but the change has been even more intense than many realize:
As you can see, high-volume perimeter shooting is increasingly the norm, and specialists abound (as the following stats show clearly), making triples a relatively easy category to address in the later rounds and/or the waiver wire. And with the league’s big men almost all trying to expand their range to the 3-point line, triples simply aren’t as scarce as they once were. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the most prominent three-ball-centric records and stats.
References: StatMuse, Basketball Monster, Basketball Reference
1. Fred VanVleet set the Raptors’ single-season record for made three-pointers with 242.
The moment Fred VanVleet broke Kyle Lowry’s franchise record for most threes made in a single season 🤩 pic.twitter.com/ZW7qKDdfXc
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) April 3, 2022
2. Malik Beasley set the Timberwolves’ single-season record for made three-pointers with 240, averaging just over three per game across 79 appearances.
3. Stephen Curry surpassed 3,000 triples this season and sits as the all-time leader at 3,117.
Congratulations to Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) of the @warriors for becoming the first player in NBA history to reach 3,000 career 3-pointers! pic.twitter.com/xl0xprt8U2
— NBA (@NBA) December 29, 2021
4. James Harden passed Reggie Miller for third all-time in made threes and now has 2,593 in his career.
5. Only 20 players in NBA history have averaged at least 2.1 triples per contest, and 18 are currently playing. JJ Redick and Peja Stojakovic are the only retired players on the list.
6. It was a disappointing season for Evan Fournier overall, but he set the Knicks’ single-season record for made threes (241) and shattered John Stark’s old record of 217 from 94-95.
7. Duncan Robinson attempted 624 threes (232 makes), a Heat single-season record. He owns the top-3 seasons in Heat history for made threes, and all have come within the last three seasons. Robinson also shot 8-of-9 in Miami’s Game 1 win vs. the Hawks, which broke his own franchise record(s) for most triples in a postseason game.
Most 3-pointers in a playoff game in #Heat history:
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) April 17, 2022
Duncan Robinson (Today) - 8
Duncan Robinson (05/22/2021) - 7
Duncan Robinson (10/9/2020) - 7
Duncan Robinson (08/20/2020) - 7
Mike Miller (06/21/2012) - 7
Damon Jones (04/24/2005) - 7#HEATCulturepic.twitter.com/aY2aV4SPEO
8. Seven players hit at least 10 three-pointers in a game this season: Saddiq Bey, Bojan Bogdanovic, Anthony Edwards, Evan Fournier, Malik Beasley, Robert Covington and Kelly Oubre.
9. All except Anthony Edwards set or matched their respective franchise’s single-game records.
10. Malik Beasley scored 33 points on 11 triples vs. the Thunder on Mar. 9, the most points ever scored on just threes in a single game.
🔥 33 POINTS ON 11-17 3PT 🔥
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) March 10, 2022
Malik Beasley made HISTORY last night with 33 points on a @Timberwolves record 11 three-pointers! It was the most points ever scored by an @NBA player on strictly threes. #GLeagueAlum pic.twitter.com/FAFl4RMiy3
11. Surprisingly, Steph Curry finished the season without hitting 10 threes in a game (not counting the All-Star Game). It’s safe to say his NBA-record 22 such games are safely out of reach. The next closest? Klay Thompson with five. In fact, only six players in NBA history have recorded multiple games with at least 10 threes: Curry (22), Klay (5), James Harden (3), J.R. Smith (3), Damian Lillard (3) and Zach LaVine (2).
12. Despite appearing in only 64 games, Steph Curry led the league in three-pointers made with 285, marking the 7th time in his career that he’s led the league in made triples.
13. Steph Curry hit 16 three-pointers in this year’s All-Star Game, a new record that’s not likely to be broken any time soon.
16 threes.
— NBA (@NBA) February 21, 2022
In one game.@StephenCurry30 went off for 50 POINTS and shattered the #NBAAllStar record for threes to lift #TeamLeBron and take home the #KiaAllStarMVP Kobe Bryant trophy! pic.twitter.com/S7ZTXatg0G
14. His brother Seth Curry was no slouch either, shooting 42.2% from beyond the arc this season. That’s his sixth straight season shooting at least 40% from three, and he’s currently 3rd all-time in three-point percentage at 43.9% behind only Hubert Davis and Steve Kerr.
15. Anthony Edwards has 386 triples through his first two seasons, tied with Saddiq Bey for second-most all time (Damian Lillard, 403). Desmond Bane ranks sixth with 345, and LaMelo Ball ranks 11th with 312. The league is in good hands.
16. Only three players averaged at least 1.5 blocks and 1.5 triples per contest this season (min. 50 games): Jaren Jackson Jr. Mo Bamba, Kristaps Porzingis.
17. Taking it a step further, JJJ joins Brook Lopez (twice) and Kristaps Porzingis (twice) as the only players in NBA history to average at least 2.0 blocks and 1.5 triples for an entire season. KP is the only player to average at least 2.0 of each, which he did in both of the aforementioned seasons.
18. Saddiq Bey shattered the Pistons’ single-season records for three-pointers made (211) and attempted (610) this season.
Saddiq Bey has set the @DetroitPistons single season record for 3-pointers made with 192 3FGM in 2021-22. #Pistons pic.twitter.com/G08amIJEnW
— Pistons PR (@Pistons_PR) March 24, 2022
19. Second-year breakout Desmond Bane set new single-season records for Memphis with 228 made threes and 523 attempted threes.
20. Bane has shot 43.5% from long range through his first two seasons, the seventh-best mark in NBA history. That’s also the second-highest percentage through a players’ first two NBA seasons, trailing only (who else?) Steph Curry.
Highest 3P% through first 2 seasons of a player's career in #NBA history (min. 700 3PA):
— Shawn Coleman (@StatsSAC) April 12, 2022
1. Steph Curry 43.9%
2. Desmond Bane 43.5%
21. In his first 30-point game on October 24, Jalen Green hit eight triples, tied for second-most by a rookie all-time and most by a rookie in Rockets history.
Jalen Green has hit EIGHT threes tonight 🚀 pic.twitter.com/a7Wy7LNSQa
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) October 25, 2021
There are dozens of fascinating records and stats to share in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more Zak’s Facts and enjoy the playoff action!
