INGLEWOOD, Calif. — James Harden’s first 3-pointer Sunday night against the Utah Jazz placed the LA Clippers guard second on the all-time list for regular season 3-point field goals made in a career, breaking a tie with Hall of Fame shooting guard Ray Allen, who made 2,973 3s from 1996 to 2014.
Harden’s milestone 3 came a little less than six minutes into the game, on a jumper from the right wing over the outstretched hand of Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen.
JAMES HARDEN PASSES RAY ALLEN 🚨
This 3 moves him into 2nd ALL-TIME in three-pointers made!
CONGRATS @JHarden13 👏 pic.twitter.com/LdcF6tZhiU
— NBA (@NBA) November 18, 2024
The only player ahead of Harden on the all-time made 3s list is one of his top rivals: Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, who enters Monday night’s game against the Clippers with 3,782.
“It’s something that I never individually would dream of, but just putting in the work day in and day out and going out there and showing the work that I put in, it’s an honor,” Harden said earlier this month when asked about the prospect of passing Allen. “These are legendary players that paved the way for guys like myself to go out there and break records. And there’s a lot of guys that are up and coming after me, after I’m done, to do the same thing, so I’m just happy that I’m in that conversation.”
Harden, the third pick of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder, tied Allen’s mark Friday night in a loss against the Houston Rockets, the franchise with which he spent the majority of his career. Earlier this month, Harden said he would have loved to pass Allen in either Houston or Oklahoma City but would be happy to get it done at home if necessary.
“OKC who drafted me, and Houston where I made a name for myself, so it’s going to be a great opportunity,” Harden said. “Even if it doesn’t happen in those two cities, (I) come back home, so this is a great, unbelievable position to be in.”
After making three 3s in the first quarter Friday night at Houston to tie Allen, cameras were all set on Harden to break the record. But Harden failed to make a 3 in the second or third quarters and did not play in the fourth quarter with the Clippers getting blown out for a third straight loss. Harden was motivated to break the record in front of his mother and other family in Houston.
“It just didn’t work out that way,” Harden lamented Friday night. “Which is fine. For me, it’s just like, getting back on track in the win column. That’s more important than anything.”
Harden led the NBA in 3-pointers made and attempted in each season from 2017-18 (his MVP campaign) to 2019-20, his last full season in Houston. Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, who was on the Boston Celtics’ coaching staff during Allen’s last three years with the team from 2009 to 2012, explained how Harden’s style is different than Allen’s.
“Ray was more coming off screens, catch and shoot,” Lue said. “He could make a 3 off the dribble, but (there) wasn’t a lot of pick-and-rolls for him. Ray was running around, coming off double staggers and pindowns. With James, a lot of his is coming off of pick-and-roll, shooting that pocket 3. Or, the (isolation) with the one-on-one into the stepback, which he’s so famous for. So (they get) them in different ways. But like I said, both of those guys are extraordinary shooters.”
Harden is the NBA’s all-time leader in four-point plays, converting a free throw 93 times after getting fouled while making a 3-pointer. A four-point play was a part of Harden’s first win as a Clipper almost a year ago (Nov. 17, 2023) in a NBA Cup game against the Rockets in Los Angeles.
In addition to being known for four-point plays, Harden is arguably the most prolific left-handed shooter of all time. Harden is one of 14 left-handed players to hit at least 1,000 career 3s, and he is the only left-handed player to ever exceed 2,000 makes.
While Curry is on pace to exceed the 4,000 career 3s later this season, Harden is on track to join him in the 3,000 3-point club next month. Out of 149 players to play in at least 1,000 games, no player has made more 3s per game than Harden at 2.7; only Allen (2.3 in 1,300 games) and 17-year pro Kyle Korver (2.0 in 1,232 games) have averaged at least two per game.
(Top photo: Harry How / Getty Images)
