The San Antonio Spurs put together one of the greatest shooting halves in NBA Finals history Wednesday night, knocking down a record 14 3-pointers before halftime and overwhelming the New York Knicks in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden.
Already trailing the series 2-1, the Spurs responded with a historic offensive explosion, turning a pivotal Finals matchup into a showcase of elite shot-making while putting the Knicks in a massive early hole.
San Antonio Spurs Break 2017 Cleveland Cavaliers’ NBA Finals 3-Point Record
The previous mark was 13 â set by the 2017 Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of that year’s Finals against the Golden State Warriors, according to NBA.com. Cleveland scored a Finals-record 86 points in that half alone and finished the night with 24 made threes, also a Finals record at the time. The Cavaliers won that game 137-116.
San Antonio’s 14 first-half makes came on 26 attempts for a 53.8% clip, according to Associated Press reporter Josh Dubow. The Spurs erupted for 41 points in the first quarter, then added 30 more in the second, leaving the Knicks â down 25 at the break â without an answer for San Antonio’s barrage.
Four Spurs reached double figures before halftime. Devin Vassell was the sharpest of them, going 4-for-4 from three-point range for 15 points. De’Aaron Fox hit three of his five three-point attempts and finished the half with 13 points and four assists. Victor Wembanyama added 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting with five rebounds and a block. Dylan Harper chipped in 12 points on an efficient 5-of-6 from the field.
San Antonio’s effective field goal percentage stood at 77.4% at the break. The Spurs also posted a 16-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio â a figure that captures how thoroughly New York was outclassed in the opening two periods.
San Antonio Spurs’ 3-Point Explosion Among the Most Efficient in Finals History
The 2017 Cavaliers game had long been the benchmark for team three-point volume in a Finals setting. Cleveland’s 24 total made threes that night set a full-game Finals record. The individual single-half record belongs to Ray Allen, who knocked down seven threes in one half for the Boston Celtics against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the 2010 Finals.
Stephen Curry holds the individual single-game Finals record with nine three-pointers, set against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018. Curry and Klay Thompson each had multiple Finals halves with six made threes during the Golden State Warriors dynasty years between 2015 and 2022.
For sheer volume at high efficiency, the Spurs’ first-half output stands above every comparable team performance in modern Finals history. The 1993 Chicago Bulls shot 71.4% from three in a full Finals game against the Phoenix Suns â elite by percentage, but on significantly lower volume than what San Antonio produced Wednesday night.
The Spurs entered Game 4 trailing the series 2-1, with New York holding home-court advantage. A win Wednesday would tie the series 2-2 before Game 5 on Saturday in San Antonio. Cleveland’s full-game record of 24 made threes is well within reach if the Spurs’ three-point shooting holds in the second half.
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