The Cleveland Cavaliers set an NBA record of 25 made three-pointers in a game versus the Atlanta Hawks. Of course former Hawk Kyle Korver broke the record.
Since LeBron James came home to Northeast Ohio in 2014 NBA free agency, the Cleveland Cavaliers have pretty much owned the Atlanta Hawks. These have been two of the better teams in the Eastern Conference over the last three years, but Atlanta has really no answer for Cleveland’s offensive output.
The Cavaliers love to barrage the Atlanta defense with three-pointer after three-pointer. They set a playoff record last season against the Hawks last season in the Eastern Conference Semifinals for most three-pointers made in a playoff game.
On Friday night, Cleveland would expand on that record with a staggering 25 made three-point field goals. Cleveland would win 135-130 in Atlanta. James hit No. 24. It’s only fitting that former Atlanta sharpshooter Kyle Korver would set the record by hitting No. 25.
Atlanta traded Korver to the Cavaliers back on January 7 for Mike Dunleavy, Mo Williams, and a 2019 first-round pick. Korver had spent the previous 4.5 seasons in Atlanta. He made the 2015 All-Star Game during Atlanta’s 60-win campaign, achieving nearly a 40-50-90 season.
This was Korver’s first game back in Atlanta since being traded. It was an emotional game for him, but he got to do what he did for so many years again on Friday night. Korver made his living the last half decade by bringing the Philips Arena faithful to its feet with some of the best three-point field goals a basketball fan will ever see.
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One has to think that this Korver three-pointer and really the 25 coming against Atlanta makes up for the missed game-tying three-point recently acquired point guard Deron Williams missed against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.