While all eyes are on the NBA Cup, it’s been hit or miss elsewhere around the league

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LAS VEGAS — The big eyes of the NBA are in Las Vegas for the NBA Cup, but some bulging eyes have taken notice of box scores in non-NBA Cup games.

Or eyesores, honestly.

On Friday night, the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets combined for the most 3-point misses in a game in NBA history, with 75. Then on Sunday night, the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks combined for the most 3-point makes in a game, with 48. (Ironically, the Warriors made 27 triples and lost at home.)

Both extreme instances are an indication of where the game has gone in recent years, where the math has largely taken over the aesthetics. Player evaluation seems to start and finish with, “Can he shoot the 3?” while so many other attributes are drowned out.

The Warriors have been far and away the forefathers of the 3-point revolution and even as Klay Thompson has departed to Dallas and Stephen Curry is getting closer to his twilight, it’s still a huge part of their identity. The Boston Celtics, meanwhile, have adopted the darkness and molded themselves in it, averaging over 50 3-point attempts a night.

The Mavericks and Warriors combined to set a record for most made 3s in a game on Sunday. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

It’s worked to the tune of a championship for the Celtics, a 21-5 record this season and being the odds-on favorite to repeat.

“You know, I can watch Golden State play all night,” Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Monday afternoon before his Bucks play the Oklahoma City Thunder for the NBA Cup championship on Tuesday. “They take a lot of 3s. (But) they move the ball.

“But I can watch Boston play, too, and it’s not because they take a lot of 3s. They play right. They move the ball. The ball moves to the right guy. They defend. They play together.”

The Celtics didn’t claim last year’s title just because they took the most 3s. Like Rivers said, their team defense and unselfish approach aided in how they seemingly overwhelmed the competition through their dominant regular season and playoff run.

But to frame this around how the game has tilted so drastically, the 2014-15 Warriors took 27 triples a…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/while-all-eyes-are-on-the-nba-cup-its-been-hit-or-miss-elsewhere-around-the-league-040202480.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-12-17 04:02:00

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