James Harden can transfer into third place on the NBA’s all-time three-point record Friday in opposition to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 76ers level guard has made 2,557 three-pointers over his 13-year profession. He’ll enter Friday’s recreation three pictures behind Corridor of Famer Reggie Miller, who made 2,560 over 18 seasons.
Golden State Warriors level guard Steph Curry took an all-time document of three,093 three-pointers into Thursday evening’s recreation in opposition to the Dallas Mavericks.
Curry overtook Corridor of Famer Ray Allen (2,973) for the lead on Dec. 14. Harden (taken third general) and Curry (seventh) had been each chosen within the 2009 draft.
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“[Third] all-time in NBA historical past, that’s positively an enormous accomplishment,” Harden mentioned. “I feel No. 1 is unquestionably going to be onerous to catch. You’ve bought the most effective shooter that ever touched a basketball in Steph. However that realm from Reggie to Ray to Kyle Korver [fifth on the list at 2,450], I imply these are some unbelievable shooters that all of us witnessed shoot the basketball at a excessive degree.
“So I’m blessed, I’m lucky to be on that record, excessive on prime of the record. And I’ll do no matter it takes to attempt to catch Steph. [It’s] going to be] tough, man.”
Figuring out the tempo that Curry has maintained behind the three-point line, Harden chuckled when he talked about catching the Warriors guard. However surpassing Miller on Friday is attainable.
Harden has performed in three video games since being acquired from the Brooklyn Nets in a trade on Feb. 10. He made 5 three-pointers in his Sixers debut in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Then Harden had three three-pointers in opposition to the New York Knicks at Madison Sq. Backyard on Sunday earlier than making two in opposition to the Knicks in Wednesday’s home debut. He’s averaging 3.3 three-pointers per recreation this season.
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What does being in place to make historical past say about Harden?
“Simply excellence,” coach Doc Rivers mentioned. “He’s had an incredible profession. … Individuals neglect James got here [into the NBA] as a passer. Nobody thought he was an offensive participant when he first got here in. Clearly nobody thought he was the offensive participant that he changed into when he went to Houston.
“So in some methods, he bought a late begin on it. He took a few years earlier than he instructed us he might actually play offense. However he’s caught up rapidly.”
Harden performed his first three seasons with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. He averaged a then career-high 16.8 factors and gained the 2012 Sixth Man of the Yr award in his ultimate season. Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets on Oct. 27, 2012, and changed into a high-scoring, perennial All-NBA choice.
Harden racked up accolades in Houston, together with the 2018 MVP, three scoring titles, six All-NBA first-team alternatives and eight All-Star appearances. He was traded to Brooklyn on Jan. 13, 2021, and garnered two extra All-Star alternatives and have become one in all 11 energetic gamers named to the NBA’s seventy fifth Anniversary group.
“He’ll get Reggie’s document sooner or later, proper?” Rivers mentioned. “However between him and Steph, they positively have taken probably the most tough threes, too. It’s not simply they’ve made threes. They each have made actually onerous threes. It’s wonderful how they shoot the ball.”
Friday’s matchup will with be the primary of a telling residence and away back-to-back. The Japanese Convention’s third-place Sixers will look to beat the fifth-place Cavs (36-26) for the second time is as many conferences this season. Then on Saturday, they’ll face the first-place Miami Warmth at FTX Area. It’ll mark the second of 4 conferences in opposition to the Warmth (41-22). The collection is tied at 1-1.
The Sixers’ first three video games of the Harden period got here in opposition to a lackluster defensive squad within the Timberwolves (34-29) and the struggling Knicks (25-37). Wednesday marked New York’s sixth straight loss and sixteenth defeat in its final 19 video games. So after getting off to a 3-0 begin with Harden, issues are about to get harder.
“For us, each recreation goes to be powerful,” Harden mentioned. “We’re new. We’re nonetheless fairly new. So we’re nonetheless studying one another. So each recreation goes to be a studying expertise for us. We’ve simply bought to seek out methods to proceed to clip away, proceed to get higher, win or lose. Clearly, it’s higher whenever you win to determine it out.
“However goes to be a fantastic check for us and we’re trying ahead to it.”
