The Boston Celtics love to shoot 3-pointers, and they set NBA history with the deep ball Friday.
Boston now owns the NBA record for most 3-pointers in a season. The previous record set by the Golden State Warriors in 2022-23 was shattered when guard Payton Pritchard hit a 3-pointer with just under four minutes left against the Phoenix Suns in the second quarter for the 1,364th 3-point make of the season.
Of course, the Celtics didn’t stop shooting from beyond the arc on the night. Boston was 14-for-39 from the field in the 123-103 win over Phoenix, pushing the season total for 3-pointers at 1,370.
The defending champions live and die by the 3-pointer, as Boston leads the league in 3-point attempts this season at 48.4 per game, nearly six more than the second-place Warriors. However, their 17.8 average of 3-pointers made is tops in the league this season, and the 36.9% 3-point percentage is eighth in the NBA.
NBA team 3-point record
Golden State’s record of 1,363 3-pointers made in a regular season lasted only two seasons before Boston broke it. The 3-point ball has become a major emphasis in nearly every NBA offense recently, and Friday night was the third time the record was broken since 2019. Here are the top five teams with the most 3-pointers in an NBA regular season:
- Boston Celtics 2024-25: 1,370
- Golden State Warriors 2022-23: 1,363
- Boston Celtics 2023-24: 1,351
- Houston Rockets 2018-19: 1,323
- Boston Celtics 2022-23: 1,315
Boston broke Golden State’s record with six games left in the regular season, meaning it has a great chance to extend it.