NBA record for 3-pointers in a season falls yet again

The NBA record for 3-pointers in a season has fallen again.

Boston’s Sam Hauser connected with 6:55 left in the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ game against Washington on Sunday night — the 31,580th made 3-pointer of the season in the NBA.

That topped the mark of 31,579 set last season.

This is the 11th time in the last 13 seasons that the league will set a record for 3-pointers per game. The Celtics set the league record for 3-pointers made in a season on Friday and broke the league mark for 3-pointers attempted in a season with their fifth try on Sunday.

A lot of records

Across the NBA, 3-point numbers have been soaring annually and there’s no end in sight. The rate of 3-pointers made per game has gone up 141% in the last 20 years, 72% in the last 10 years and about 9% from just two years ago.

This will be the first season in NBA history where less than half of the league’s scoring will come from 2-point shots. The current breakdown: 49.5% off 2-pointers (the lowest rate in league history), 35.6% off 3-pointers (the highest rate in league history) and 14.9% off free throws (the second-lowest in league history).

There are 15 teams on pace to — or that already have — set franchise 3-point records for makes, attempts or both.

Individual numbers soaring

Through Sunday evening, there were 130 players with at least 100 3-pointers this season — another NBA record.

And for the first time, the NBA could have three players make 300 3-pointers in a season. Entering Sunday, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards had 303, Detroit’s Malik Beasley had 301 and Golden State’s Stephen Curry had 293.

Edwards and Beasley — both of whom crossed the 300-make threshold on Saturday — are the fourth and fifth players to have a 300-make season in NBA history. Curry has five seasons of 300 3s or more, James Harden has one and Klay Thompson has one.

And this season’s Celtics are on pace to be the first team with three players making 250 3s in a season. Derrick White is already there with 258, Payton Pritchard has 246 and Jayson Tatum has 243.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer