What is the NBA single-game record for most 3-pointers? Full list of leaders for regular season and NBA playoffs

Yash Matange

What is the NBA single-game record for most 3-pointers? Full list of leaders for regular season and NBA playoffs image

The 3-point shot, led primarily by the duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, has grown in frequency over the past decade in the NBA. 

Just looking at the average 3-pointers attempted paints a very clear picture. Early in the 2021-22 season, the NBA's 75th year, the average 3-point shots attempted are 35.5, just shy of being double the average of 18.4 from the 2011-12 season. 

The same can be seen in the number of single-game 3-point records broken over the past few years, both in the regular season and the playoffs. 

Single-game Regular season record

For over a decade, Donyell Marshall and Kobe Bryant jointly held the record for most 3-pointers in a single regular-season game. In 2016, during his unanimous MVP season, Stephen Curry tied that tally. 

In the five years since, three players have knocked down more than 12 3-pointers in a single-game. First, Curry broke his own record that same year before his teammate Klay Thompson set the NBA record with 14 at the start of the 2018-19 season. 

A year later, Zach LaVine put his name alongside these greats when he knocked down 13. 

Instances of NBA players making 12 3s or more
Player (Team) 3-pointers Date Opponent
Klay Thompson (Warriors) 14 Oct. 29, 2018 Bulls
Zach LaVine (Bulls) 13 Nov. 13, 2019 Hornets
Stephen Curry (Warriors) 13 Nov. 7, 2016 Pelicans
Stephen Curry (Warriors) 12 Feb. 27, 2016 Thunder
Donyell Marshall (Raptors) 12 Mar. 13, 2005 76ers
Kobe Bryant (Lakers) 12 Jan. 7, 2003 Seattle SuperSonics

Of the 29 times an NBA player has knocked down 11 3-pointers, all but four occurred in 2013 or later. Curry, the greatest shooter this game has seen, accounts for 12 of them.

No other player in league history has done it more than twice.

Single-game Playoffs record

The impact of the 3-point shot in the postseason has been the same, albeit slightly delayed. All instances of a player knocking down more than nine 3-pointers have come after 2016. 

Klay Thompson first broke then then long-time record of nine 3-pointers in a single playoff game, jointly held by multiple players (Jason Terry, Ray Allen, Rex Chapman, Vince Carter), when he knocked down 11 3-pointers during his epic Game 6 performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016. 

This past postseason in 2021, Damian Lillard broke that record when he knocked down 12 en route to scoring 55 against the Denver Nuggets. 

Prior to Lillard's eruption, Thompson held the record for most 3-pointers in a single game in both the regular season and playoffs. 

Instances of NBA players making nine 3s or more
Player (Team) 3-pointers Date Opponent
Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers) 12 Jun. 1, 2021 Nuggets
Klay Thompson (Warriors) 11 May. 28, 2016 Thunder
Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers) 10 Apr. 23, 2019 Thunder

Of the 14 times an NBA player knocked down nine 3-pointers in a postseason, all but five have come after 2018. 

Single-game Playoffs record (quarter)

After struggling in his previous match-ups vs. the Boston Celtics in the 2021-22 regular season, Stephen Curry let it fly in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Warriors point guard left no doubt he's the greatest shooter of all-time. 

Curry set an NBA Finals record in Game 1 with by connecting on six 3-pointers in the first quarter. He tied Antoine Walker's playoff record of most three's in a quarter, a feat the Celtics forward set in the first round of the 2002 playoffs vs. the 76ers. 

Additionally, Curry's 21 first-quarter points are the most in a Finals quarter since Michael Jordan had 22 in the 4th quarter of Game 4 against Phoenix in 1993, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Player (Team) 3-pointers Date Opponent Round
Stephen Curry (Warriors) 6 Jun. 2, 2022 Celtics Finals
Antoine Walker (Celtics) 6 April 28, 2002 76ers First
Ray Allen (Celtics) 5 Jun. 6, 2010 Lakers Finals
Ray Allen (Celtics) 5 April 20, 2010 Heat First

Team Single-game Regular season record 

The 3-pointer has become so important in today's NBA that teams design whole offensives based on the long- distance shot. 

The 2020-2021 Milwaukee Bucks have the record for most threes in a regular season game, splashing 29 in a matchup with the Miami Heat on December 29, 2020.

The 2020-2021 Utah Jazz and 2020-2021 Houston Rockets are both tied for second with 28 made three-pointers in a single game.

Instances of NBA teams making 27 3s or more
Team 3-pointers Date Opponent
Milwaukee Bucks 29 Dec. 29, 2020 Heat
Utah Jazz 28 Feb. 22, 2021 Hornets
Houston Rockets 28 Feb. 1, 2021 Thunder
Utah Jazz 27 Dec. 3, 2021 Celtics
Golden State Warriors 27 May 8, 2021 Thunder
Brooklyn Nets 27 Feb. 15, 2021 Kings
Houston Rockets 27 April 7, 2019 Suns

Team Single-game Playoffs record 

In NBA playoffs history, there have been a number of elite three-point shooting teams that have used the long-distance shot to create postseason magic.

The 2015-2016 Cleveland Cavaliers have the record for most threes in a playoff game, hitting 25 in Game 2 of their second-round series against the Atlanta Hawks.

The Cavaliers almost broke their own record a year later as they made 24 3-pointers in NBA Finals matchup against the Golden State Warriors. Cleveland's 24 3-pointers however, is an NBA Finals record.

Instances of NBA teams making 22 3s or more
Team 3-pointers Date Opponent
Cleveland Cavaliers 25 May 4, 2016 Hawks
Cleveland Cavaliers 24 June 9. 2017 Warriors
Houston Rockets 23 Aug 5, 2020 Thunder
Boston Celtics 22 May 15. 2022 Bucks
Dallas Mavericks 22 April 18, 2022 Jazz
Milwaukee Bucks 22 May 24, 2021 Heat
Houston Rockets 22 Sept. 6, 2020 Lakers
L.A. Clippers 22 Aug. 25 2020 Mavericks
Toronto Raptors 22 Aug. 23 2020 Nets
Denver Nuggets 22 Aug. 17 2020 Jazz
Toronto Raptors 22 Aug. 17 2020 Nets
Houston Rockets 22 May 1, 2017 Spurs

 

 

Yash Matange

Yash Matange Photo