Boston Celtics Break NBA Record For Most 3-Pointers In A Season

Forbes

05-04-2025

In what has become a record-setting year for various NBA title contenders, the Boston Celtics are joining the party.
There are new perimeter kings in the building, taking that label away from the Bay Area.
The Celtics have broken the NBA's all-time record for most 3-pointers made in a season, surpassing the Golden State Warriors' mark of 1,363 set during the 2022-23 campaign. This comes just a few days after Derrick White overtook Isaiah Thomas for the most individual threes in a season in Celtics' franchise history.
Boston claimed the latest record in the second quarter of Friday's game versus the Phoenix Suns.
For context on how impressive this feat is, consider the fact we still have a week remaining in the NBA schedule. The Celtics have five games left, meaning they could destroy this number for the time being. Currently averaging 17.8 made threes per game, they have a chance to blow past the Warriors' mark by 100 or more.
Plus, considering how intentional and extreme the Celtics have been with adjusting their shot profile to stay ahead of the curve, there's no guarantee other teams will take enough to catch them.
Boston entered Friday 156 threes ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who rank second in the league with 1,200 makes. It's the largest gap between the first and second-place teams since the 2018-19 Rockets, who were 218 ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks. Those were the same Rockets that famously ditched the concept of playing traditional centers by trading Clint Capela at the deadline, leaning into small-ball lineups that spaced the floor and launched from deep.
This isn't just a matter of high volume for the Celtics, either. For the third straight year, they are top 10 in perimeter efficiency, per Cleaning The Glass.
Heat map of the Boston Celtics' shot profile
2024-25 Season
But yes, they do take a large proportion of their shots from downtown. In fact, this is the first time in NBA history a team has taken at least 50% of its shots from 3-point range. Filtering out garbage time, the Celtics are seven percentage points higher than second place in 3-point volume this season.
There's a reason for it, too.
When the coaching staff experienced an overhaul in September 2022, the identity shifted. And it has led to an offensive juggernaut that stresses – and stretches – opponents beyond their limits.
Joe Mazzulla, finishing up his third season as Celtics head coach, is perhaps the most ruthless competitor on NBA sidelines. He doesn't care one iota about the league's ratings concern, or how aesthetically unpleasant their offense might be compared to past eras.
The only two things he's focused on? Stacking wins and figuring out the best equation that yields playoff success, regardless of the opponent.
When asked about the Celtics leaning into this perimeter-based approach, he kept things simple.
'Red Auerbach said it best,' Mazzulla began. 'Rebounding is the second most important thing (in basketball). The first is shooting.'
Boston embraces the identity it has built.
Their offensive system isn't predicated on jacking threes with no rhyme or reason. This isn't the Mike D'Antoni Rockets that finished 20% of their possessions with isolation attempts. The Celtics offer a stylistic blend of drive-and-kick offense, off-ball screening, and mismatch hunting out of ball-screens that every successful offense has featured in the modern era.
With the deadly lineup options Boston has – and the luxury of both Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford shooting the lights out as centers – most of their actions inevitably lead to threes.
That's precisely why Boston is a matchup problem for nearly every opponent, but especially those with traditional drop-coverage big men. The Celtics are going to force them to move on the perimeter and cover an exceptional amount of ground.
And, no, they will not budge from that identity.
Since Mazzulla took over, there have been 198 instances of Boston knocking down at least 15 threes in a game. That's 61 more times than the next-highest team, Golden State. The Celtics have won 163 of those games, translating to an 82.3% winning percentage. In other words – over the course of a standard season, they are a 67-win team (based on performance) when making at least 15 threes.
Extend it to 20 makes, which is no longer a rarity for this franchise, and it's even more ridiculous. The Celtics are 53-6 under Mazzulla when drilling at least 20 threes, including playoffs. That's a better winning percentage than the famous 73-9 Warriors.
You've likely heard over the last few months just how 'detrimental' this play style is for the popularity of the sport. And it couldn't be further from the truth.
It's flat-out silly to suggest television ratings have dropped because of the NBA's 3-point revolution, mostly because it ignores the impact of cable-cutters and illegal streaming that's running rampant across the sports world. There's a heavy proportion of viewers that aren't being captured by the metrics.
Also, there's only one particular group that's irritated by Boston's shot chart. It's the old heads. The ones who think it's a smarter offensive decision to pass up wide-open threes in favor of contested mid-range looks, or ineffective post-ups.
The NBA – and its broadcast partners – never do themselves any favors by having older generation stars dominate the conversation on national television. When fans are incorrectly being told how much worse the game is today versus the 1990s and 2000s … that doesn't seem to be a logical way of boosting viewership.
The truth is, Boston hasn't aimlessly launched threes. It has been strategic. And the way they generate those opportunities is entertaining for basketball junkies.
Behind the right personnel moves over the last few summers and smart, detailed coaching, they have unlocked the most competent and reliable offense in the game.
Ten months ago, the old adage of 'jumpshooting teams can't win a championship' was demolished, and the Celtics have followed it by taking the crown as 3-point kings.
As viewers, we should all just learn to enjoy the difference in styles around the league. I promise, it's more fun that way.