Deron Williams Breaks NBA Record With 9 First Half 3-Pointers vs. Wizards
Sometimes in basketball, the bucket looks as big as the ocean, especially if you're Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams.
The Nets' floor general set an NBA record on Friday night, knocking down nine three-pointers in the first half at home against the Washington Wizards (via ESPN Stats & Info):
UPDATE: Friday, March 8 at 10:02 p.m. ET by Patrick Clarke
Deron Williams scored a season-high 42 points on 15-of-24 shooting (11 of his 16 three-pointers) in the Nets' win over the Wizards. His 11 made threes are a career high and just one shy of the NBA record (via ESPN Stats & Info):
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Surprisingly, Williams' previous career high for three-pointers made in a game was eight coming into Friday night. He also surpassed his career high for three-pointers attempted in a game, which had previously been 14. And before Friday, Williams was tied for 24th in the NBA with 114 made three-pointers this season. Following his performance against Washington, he's sure to rise up the rankings.
The former Illinois star connected on seven of his nine first-half bombs during a remarkable first quarter, in which the Nets would outscore the Wizards, 38-14. Yes, Williams, who dropped 23 points on the Wiz in the opening period, was actually on pace to knock down 28 triples before cooling off.
Just a 37 percent three-point shooter on the season, it's safe to say that Williams' downtown explosion caught most NBA fans and experts off guard.
The NBA record for most three-pointers in a single game is 12, which both Kobe Bryant (2003) and Donyell Marshall (2005) currently own.
In 2009, J.R. Smith, then with the Denver Nuggets, came close to tying the record, hitting 11 of his 18 three-pointers against the Sacramento Kings.
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