On November 13, 1967, the Indiana Pacers of the American Basketball Association were losing to the Dallas Chaparrals, 118-116, with just one second left on the clock.
Indiana inbounded the ball to Jerry Harkness, who was 92 feet away from the basket. With no time to do anything else, Harkness threw a towering Hail Mary heave toward the goal. It smacked off the backboard and went in.
Pandemonium erupted in Dallas, but for all the wrong reasons. You see, 1967 was the first year of the 3-point shot among basketball's top leagues, and the players and fans weren't used to it. A lot of the 2,500 in attendance that day thought that the Harkness miracle tied the game and forced overtime. In fact, he was 68 feet behind the brand new 3-point line. His shot won the game for the Pacers, 119-118.
"We were running off the floor to huddle up for the overtime when the official, Joe Belmont, came up to me and said 'Jerry, it's over. That was a 3-pointer,'" Harkness said in the book Loose Balls. "I said, 'I forgot all about that. A 3-pointer.' Then we were celebrating again, because we found out that we won the game."
These days, the 3-pointer is second-nature to basketball players and fans. It's a safe bet that nobody under the age of 30 has any recollection of college or professional basketball being played without a 3-point line.
But, in fact, basketball was played for a long time without the 3-point shot. The NBA considered it gimmicky for years. The NCAA was even slower to adopt the rule.
Once it became mainstream, though--with the ABA leading the charge in 1967--basketball would never be the same again.
The Inception
The 3-point line's first use in a professional league was back in 1961 in the American Basketball League. The ABL only lasted 1 ½ seasons before folding, so the 3-pointer quickly went away.
The NBA, which had been around since 1946, never seriously considered it at that point. But when a new league competing against the NBA was dreamed up in the mid-1960s, the 3-point shot was back in the spotlight.
The ABA, which started in 1967, differed from the NBA in its experimentation of fan-friendly ideas. They had a red, white and blue basketball, a slam dunk contest, and of course, the 3-point shot.
According to the book Loose Balls: The Short, Wild Life of the American Basketball Association, which chronicled the nine-season history of the ABA, league organizers had planned to use the 3-pointer from the beginning. Coincidentally, the commissioner of the ABA and a big proponent of the 3-pointer was George Mikan, a 6-foot-10 NBA legend who probably would've never shot one during his playing days.
"We called it the home run, because the 3-pointer was exactly that," Mikan said in the book. "It brought fans out of their seats."
In 1976, the ABA and NBA merged, with four teams joining the NBA--the Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and New Jersey Nets. The 3-point shot, at first, wasn't part of the package.
The NBA stayed firm in the game's traditions. The league didn't adopt the 3-pointer until 1979--Magic Johnson and Larry Bird's rookie season. While certain college basketball conferences experimented with it in the early '80s, the NCAA didn't universally implement a 3-point line until 1986, with high school basketball following suit a year later.
The Adjustment
In the late 1960s, when the ABA introduced the 3-pointer, a generation of coaches had to rethink everything they knew about the game, and it made things hectic. One ABA coach admits that at first, he never used the 3-pointer unless his team was losing late in the game and was desperate for points.
Other coaches had similar problems adjusting to its reality.
"You have to tell your players to remember who the shooters are, and when those guys are 25 feet from the basket, get in their jocks and guard them," former ABA and NBA coach Hubie Brown said in Loose Balls. "Don't give them the 25-footer, which is something players had been conditioned to do all their lives. And as a coach, if you have a shooter with range, you have to give him the freedom to take the 25-footer, which is a philosophy that goes against what you learned as a young coach--namely, pound the ball inside."
It wasn't just the coaches, either. The fans loved it right away, but there were growing pains among the players.
"It took a while for players to understand time and score situations, when to take it," said Len Elmore, who played in both the ABA and NBA. "You also recognize that players who hadn't been accustomed to playing with a 3-point line really had to work to develop the range."
Michael Jordan is a perfect example of that. He played college basketball at North Carolina without a 3-point line. In his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls, he was 9-for-52 from 3-point range. He never shot better than 20 percent from long range until his fifth season in the NBA. But by the time his remarkable tenure with the Bulls wrapped up, he was consistently shooting better than 35 percent from 3-point range.
The Evolution
It may not be obvious, but the 3-point line continues to change the sport today.
"Guys have become super efficient at the shot," Elmore said. "You see the NCAA continue to move the line further back because players can shoot it. At one time, it was only 19 feet at its shortest point."
In addition to the players continuing to improve, the utilization of the shot continues to evolve as well.
"Now you're seeing it on the fast break, whereas coaches from old school wouldn't want you to take that shot on the break. They'd want you to challenge the defense and get the highest percentage shot," Elmore said. "Also, you're seeing guys now driving to the basket, and even though they have an opportunity to take the layup or a much shorter shot, they're more willing to kick it out to the wide-open 3-point shooter. I'm not sure the percentages work from that standpoint, but it's a trend. "
Though the distances differ between all levels of basketball, the 3-point line is universal. The NBA has a 22-foot 3-point line in the corners and a 23-foot, 9-inch line elsewhere. The WNBA and the international game plays with a 20-foot, 6-inch line. The NCAA men's game has a 20-foot, 9-inch line while the NCAA women and high schools have a 19-foot, 9-inch line.
Whereas size was a crucial factor in matchups in the past, the 3-point line gave smaller teams a great equalizer.
Even the post players get into the action--just not very often.
Shaquille O'Neal is 1-for-22 from 3-point range in his career, that one a humorous bank shot buzzer-beater. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played half his pro career with no 3-point line and half of his career with it. He was 1-for-18 from behind the arc in his career.
More than anything, though, the 3-point line has made basketball a completely different experience for the fans--a more spread-out game with another level of energy that wasn't there before the 1960s.
"It keeps the game exciting, particularly at the college level," Elmore said. "There are times when people fall in love with it, and there's the adage that you live by it and you also die by it. When it's not incorporated properly and not utilized properly, it can hurt a team. But the advantage is to be able to stretch the floor."
How Far Is the 3 Point Line From The Hoop? Stats & Facts – Basketball Word!
To some, while watching basketball highlights or the game on T.V. it may appear that the 3 point line appears to be really far from the hoop. So if you are wondering, just how far is the three-point line is from the basketball hoop I have your answer.
How far is the 3 point line from the hoop? The 3 point line to the hoop in highschool is 19 feet 9 inches (6.02 meters), in college it is 20 feet 9 inches (6.32 meters) and both the WNBA, as well as FIBA’s 3 point line, is 22 feet 2 inches (6.75 meters). With the NBA being the furthest out of any league measured at 23 feet 9 inches (7. 24 meters).
If you remember the 3 point line to be closer than what you remember it to be at some point in your life, don’t be alarmed it’s not a mandella effect, you are in fact correct. We will look at the history, stats, and facts of this line and how it’s changing the game.
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History Of The 3 Point Line
The 3 point line has been moved several times over the years and like I said if you remember it being closer, that was just the case in 1993/94 NBA season and for three seasons the NBA had a closer line. It is right now and before the move 23 ft 9 in (7.24 m) and at the corners 22 ft (6.71 m). They shorten to 22 ft (6.71 m) all the way around the basket.
Why the shortening, quite simply to induce more shots from the three, to increase more scoring and to add entertainment to the game. Which is sort of worked, numbers were up but not as much as the league thought they would be it actually took a number of years such as the third year where it really became apart of coaches plays. They then moved back the line to its original distance.
Some speculated that the NBA did this for Michael Jordan but the Chicago Bulls were hardly a 3 point shooting team. But a team like the New York Knicks benefited as John Starks during that time was the first player to break 200 threes in a single season.
3 Point Record-Breaking History
Danny Ainge was the first to break 100 three-pointers in a single season crushing the existing record at the time of 92 with 148 made three’s in the 1987/88 season.
John Starks of the New York Knicks was the first to break 200 in a season with 217 made shots in the 1994/95 NBA season.
Ray Allen set the new record in the 2004/05 season with 269 made three’s.
The goat of the three-point shot Steph Curry made and broke his own record 3 times 272 in 2012/13, 286 in 2014/15, 324 in 2016/17, 354 in 2017/18 and 402 in 2015/16.
With more three’s made and attempted you would think that points per game for teams would go up also, but it hasn’t. It actually is roughly the same.
Was The 3-Point Line Invented By The NBA
The 3 point line was first introduced in the American Basketball League in 1961 for one and a half seasons before the league folded. The Eastern Professional Basketball League followed suit in 1963/64 season. It was Popularized by the American Basketball Association otherwise known as the A.B.A in which they introduced it in their first season as a league.
The ABA joined with the NBA merging into one league in 1976 while it wasn’t until the 1979/80 seasons of the NBA that the three-point line re-appeared in a league. It was predicated as a terrible shot choice and against a coach’s strategy that most teams shied away from the three.
The idea of the three-point line didn’t sit well with the players and coaches, most thought it was a gimmick or a ploy to draw more crowds. When a shot was taken, the crowd would be in awe as it went up and didn’t often make it in the hoop as shooting percentages were poor. But when it did go in the crowd erupted like a ferocious dunk in traffic.
At the time the three-point line was 25 feet from the hoop that is further than it is now. That’s a foot further, so no wonder people were in aww when the shot went up.
Players and coaches had their reasons for not implementing it in their game plan, you have to remember that they have been practicing their whole lives without the three-point line, then out of nowhere, this is introduced. It changes everything.
The three-point line is more than just a line that you shoot from. Think about it, when you can’t see behind you and you’re on defense playing man to man with the ball, the three-point line can tell you where you are on the court in relation to the basket and how far away you are.
Quick Stat:
James Harden averages 13 three-point attempts a game.
Coaches Distaste For The Three
During the invention of the three-point line coaches built a system in their offense and prided on making sure the offense works. So it is obvious if you as a player that wanted playing time you would listen to the coach by any means necessary. For the coaches to all of a sudden make adjustments and incorporate the three into their system is not far fetched it just wasn’t something the coaches were interested in.
Many of the players and coaches assumed the three-point line wouldn’t last because many thought it was a gimmick. But for the fans, the new line was comparable to a slam dunk leaving the fans cheering and roaring when a shot was made.
At the time it could have been worded that the new line is something the league is going to try, so the teams might have thought not to invest too much into something when statistically it isn’t favorable and secondly it may not be there the next season.
When the ABA merged with the NBA any players who played in the ABA had a distinct advantage in shooting 3’s over those who didn’t, that is if you were given the green light by the coach to shoot three’s. That experience is huge in understanding the line and how it may affect the outcome of a game.
One or two three’s were shot per game and when the three went up, you can hear the crowds in awe as the ball was headed to the basket. If it went in the crowd when crazy like a game-winning shot. It was such a rare occasion that deserved its own recognition as a difficult shot.
Quick Stat:
The Fewest shot per a team from the three-point line is the San Antonio Spurs at only 24 shots a game.
Lack of Strength Equals Less Accuracy
Now I am not saying players were not strong enough to shoot from 25 feet out back then, what I am saying is that it would have been difficult for players to shoot from that far when they played a whole game and their legs are tired. Accuracy wouldn’t have been exactly dead eye so to speak.
Players rarely worked out to improve strength with weights as many wives’ tale were told that weight lifting would affect a shooter’s shot. The opposite has been proven to be true, in fact, I always felt I shot much better when I was working out with weights as I felt all I had to do was aim and not worry about how much power I needed behind a shot.
Michael Jordan is a classic example of someone who worked out his upper body with weights on game day and we all know how that turned out. Obviously, if you have never done it before then it may be difficult at first. I feel you can never have to much strength in basketball as long as you continue to work on the skill tirelessly.
Too little strength becomes a problem, form on the shot is sacrificed and other parts of the shooting muscles have to sacrifice, and if you are a little tired good luck.
Quick Stat:
The Golden State Warriors in the 2017/18 season were 17th in the league in 3 pointers attempted by a team. They attempted 2370 shots and shot a record 40 percent from the field as a team.
How Three-Pointers Have Changed The Game Of Basketball?
I grew up lucky enough to watch Michael Jordan play the game of basketball in his prime back when the midrange was actually a thing. I remember working on my midrange game as much as possible because I felt it was the key to becoming a good player who can average 20 plus points a game.
I still believe this to this day even though shooting three-pointers has become more popular than Fortnite, so it seems. Believe it or not, I never practiced shooting 3s either, as I didn’t shoot a lot of them in games but when I did it didn’t feel like a three it just felt like another shot. Wherever the shot presented itself for me I would shoot.
Although I do not believe that now but wondered if I would have practiced shooting more three’s than I wonder how much better I would have been behind the arc. The game was not tailored at the time I was playing high school to shoot a lot of threes. It was more if you are open shoot the three.
We have all seen the impact one player can make in basketball. From Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson To Lebron James and now Steph Curry. They not only changed the culture but also the way the game is played. Young players craft their skill set modeling the fundamentals and style of these players.
One player who has made the greatest impact on the game of basketball in which it has changed the game entirely, comparing it to the last decade is definitely Stephen Curry. He ha single handily broke records including his own in the three-point shot and has shot with amazing accuracy.
It blows me away to see this guy hit threes with such difficulty. It reminds me of when of the story of runners that we’re told that running the mile in under 4 minutes was impossible. As soon as one runner did it everyone started to do it. This holds true in my opinion with the three-point shot, it is like a layup to these players.
Teams are shooting more 3s than ever. I was watching the Houston Rockets play their second game of the season and they took more than 50 three-pointers in one game. As of the 2019/20 season Houston is averaging almost 50 threes a game.
The crazy thing is I do not see this shot selection slowing down. I strongly believe although I don’t have statistics to back me that players are shooting the three with more efficiency. Heck, the Centers are shooting three and doing it well.
There is some strategy that goes along with it, the center stays out at the three-point line, the center has now opened up the middle for penetration. Bringing out the shot blocker away from the hoop. These centers are open when their defender leaves to help on defense.
The ball goes to the center for a shot. Many centers develop a three-point shot when they get into the league as their success in getting into the league was based on playing the center not shooting 3s. Centers as of now take a couple of threes a game. But in the near future, I wonder if we can see a center lead the league in three-point efficiency.
Quick Stat:
The Houston Rockets have lead the league in 3 pointers made with 14 to 16 three’s in the last 3 seasons.
Every Player Loves The Three
As millions of kids around the world want to shoot the ball like Stephen Curry, the problem is that they are sacrificing their form just to get the ball to the rim. Young kids are playing with basketballs that are too heavy and big when they should focus on the basketball sizes for their age.
The three-pointer is more popular then it has ever been, it is completely normal to see more free throws attempts than midrange jumpers, while the 3 point shot and the layup/dunk dominate the shot selection.
In today’s game, we can see the 3 point line and use it as a guide on defense to determine where you are on the court relative to the basket. If no lines were there you would have to look back to see where you are in relation to the basket.
If they are able to shoot the three you want to be above the three-point line, If they are more of a penetrator, you will want to stay just on or just underneath it. I believe the three-point line helped every player play better defense. Could you imagine if there was no line, and you are on the wing guarding a good scorer, it would be hard to determine how far away you are from the basket and the angle you are at.
4 Point Line Or Move The Three Further
There has been a lot of talk throughout the past couple of years of moving the three-point line further away from the basket as the NBA has changed dramatically with it’s shot selection. How far back no one knows but this is something the NBA always looks into. Is the amount of threes taken and made ruining the NBA game, if they thought it was I think they would push the line further, such as when they moved the line closer to in the 1993/94 season.
Larry Bird was once quoted in an interview and he is as old school as they get saying the game has to move with the times and he thinks one day were going to need a 4 point line. Where are we going to put that line, players are already shooting 5 feet away from the line with such efficiency.
In the end, I believe the game is changing at a rapid rate, the role of the big man has changed completely while the three-point shot attempts have also increased. The side effect is quicker shots faster game and more points on the board.
That concludes the article, please check back as I update the site frequently.
Further Readings:
How To Become A Better Shooter In Basketball: Ultimate Guide
When Are Baskets Worth 3-points?
How To Improve Shooting Accuracy In Basketball? A Different Approach
The biggest score of matches in the history of basketball and NBA
In our top all matches took place within the NBA. It looks logical - the NBA has become the most prestigious and strongest league, where low-scoring games rarely happen. The Denver Nuggets took part in 5 out of 10 matches - far from being the most titled team.
10. 312 points. Minneapolis Lakers - Boston Celtics
Score: 139:173 Exodus: Celtics win Tournament: NBA regular season 1958/59 Date: February 27, 1959
Opens the top match between the favorite and the underdog. The Celtics were 49 wins and 17 losses at the time of the meeting, while the Lakers were 29-35. Thanks to the difference in class, the Celtics immediately began to smash the opponent: 10 points after the first period, 19 after the second. Four Boston players scored more than 20 points at once, and Tom Heinsohn was the best with 43 points.
9. 314 points. Denver Nuggets - San Antonio Spurs
Account: 153: 161 Exodus: Victory "Spurs" Tournament: regular NBA Championship 1989/90 Date: November 7, 1990
The first appearance of "Nuggets" in our top on the largest score in the history of the NBA and all basketball starts from ninth place. The Nuggets took the lead and had a 12-point lead in the first quarter. Then the Spurs turned on - after the third period they were already leading by 9 points. The final quarter was tied, with the Spurs winning by handicap. The hero of the meeting was David Robinson, a veteran of San Antonio, who scored 43 points.
Robinson is one of the best basketball players of all time
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Robinson played his entire career with the Spurs. Photo: nba.com
8. 316 points. Denver Nuggets - “Phoenix Sans”
Account: 143: 173 Exodus: Victory “Phoenix Sans” Tournament: regular NBA Championship 1990/91 Date: November 10, 1990
In one of the first games of the season, teams with a big difference in level met. Phoenix went into the game with 3 wins and 1 loss, Denver had six losses in a row. The difference in class decided the outcome of the match: Already in the first half of the meeting, the Suns scored 107 points, breaking away from the opponent by 40 points. Then Phoenix let go of the game and allowed the opponent to recoup a little, but the received margin of safety was enough to win.
7. 316 points. San Diego Rockts-“Cincinnati Royals”
Account: 151: 165 Exodus: Winter “Royals” Tournament: regular NBA Championship 1969/70 Date: March 12, 1970
Both teams approached the match in almost the same form - more defeats than victories. Cincinnati were in a better position in this regard - this determined the outcome of the meeting. Already in the first two quarters, the Royals took the lead by 18 points and easily brought the game to victory. All of the Cincinnati starters stood out, each scoring over 20 points. Only Alvin Hayes was able to oppose them - the Rockets forward scored 40 points.
6. 316 points. “Philadelphia Warriors”-“New York NIX”
Account: 169: 147 Exodus: Victory “Philadelphia” Tournament: regular NBA Championship 1961/62 Date: March 2, 1962
This meeting became historic - it was nicknamed "Chamberlain's 100-point match". The fact is that Philadelphia center Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in it. This is an absolute record, only Kobe Bryant came close to it in 2006 - only 81 points. Chamberlain single-handedly humiliated the Knicks and allowed the game to be the sixth-highest score in NBA and all basketball history. Dave Budd later admitted that Wilt was unstoppable even with five of them.
As a child, Chamberlain was very tall, so he became a basketball player
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At the end of the meeting, the New York players began fouling everyone except Chamberlain to prevent him from throwing free throws and scoring 100 points. However, due to such tactics, the Philadelphia center easily scored a hundred from the field, throwing without interference from advantageous positions.
Spectators chanted "give the ball to Wilt" - and the Warriors players gave the ball to the record holder. In the last 46 seconds, Chamberlain, who had already scored 100 points, simply stood in the middle of the center circle and waited for the end, because he did not want to spoil the round number - "one hundred sounds better than one hundred and two. "
At junior level, many scored 100 points - including the lowest players
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Chamberlain took five places in the top 10 record holders in points scored per game. Photo: bleacherreport.com
5. 318 points. “Phoenics Sans”-“New Jersey Nets”
Account: 161: 157 Exodus: Victory “Phoenix” Tournament: regular NBA Championship 2006/07 Date: December 7, 2006
The biggest score in recent NBA history was recorded in a meeting between the Suns and the Nets. It took all the regular time and two overtimes to determine the winner. Statistics say that during all this time the teams took the lead 34 times. There were heroes on both sides, with the Suns scoring Shawn Marion (33) and Steve Nash (42), the Nets scoring Jason Kidd (38) and Vince Carter (31).
4. 318 points. San Antonio Opers-Denver Nuggets
Account: 155: 163 Exodus: VUGGETS VIGSTS Tournament: regular NBA Championship 1983/84 Date: January 11, 1984
In the 80s, the Nuggets were one of the best in the NBA, often scoring a lot, but also conceded a lot. Both of these factors led to the fourth highest scoring game in basketball history. There was not a single overtime here - both clubs scored more than 150 points only in regular time. The main character was Kiki Vandeweghe - he single-handedly scored 50 points.
Account: 162: 158 Exodus: VUGGETS VIGSTS Tournament: regular NBA Championship 1990/91 Date: November 2, 1990
Usually the beginning of the season turns out to be ineffective - the players come out of vacation and are gradually drawn into the game. However, the Warriors and the Nuggets already in the first meeting gave the third most successful match in the history of basketball. Another feature is that there were no overtimes in this game, the highest score in the history of basketball was recorded in the match, excluding extra time.
The Warriors were ahead the entire game, losing on points only in the third period, but still leading in the previous two periods by lead. The main duel unfolded between Chris Mullin of the Golden State and Orlando Woolridge of the Nuggets: Mullin scored 38 points, Wooldridge - 37.
The golden trio of the Warriors of those times - Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. Photo: nba.com
2. 337 points. Milwaukee Bucks - San Antonio Spurs
Score: 166:171 Exodus: Milwaukee win Tournament: 1981/82 NBA regular season Date: March 6, 1982
The Spurs and Bucks had an outstanding matchup. Both teams were level from the very beginning - in all four periods, no one went ahead by more than three points. Regular time ended with a score of 131:131, which is already an outstanding result, but the teams continued to fight in overtime. There were three of them in total: the first ended with a score of 14:14, the second - 12:12. In the third, the Bucks lost - 9:fourteen. The main heroes of the match were Spurs players Mike Mitchell and George Gervin - together they earned 95 points, 55% of the team's result.
1. 370 points. Detroit Pistons - Denver Nuggets
Account: 186: 184 Exodus: Pistons Victory Tournament: regular NBA Championship 1983/84 Date: December 13, 1983
to the 1983/84 season, Detroit was one of the league's outsiders - over the previous six years, the team had not reached the playoffs. However, at 19In 1983, coach Chuck Daley came to the club, who brought the Pistons to a new level - for the regular season they won 49 of 82 matches and scored an average of 117 points.
On Dec. 13, Detroit faced an even higher-scoring team, Doug Moe's Nuggets, who averaged 123 points. In this match, the audience saw on the scoreboard the biggest score in the history of the NBA and all of basketball.
The regular time of the match ended with a score of 145:145 – 20 seconds before the end, the Pistons lost by 2 points, but took a timeout and equalized the score. The game went into extra time, where the teams fought three overtimes in a row in a tight fight. The Pistons won by just two points.
With stoppages, the match lasted almost three hours. Photo: twitter.com/bradley_b_roll
Out of rating. 284 points. Iraq - northern Yemen
Account: 251: 33 Exodus: Victory of the Iraqi team Tournament: -year -old Asian games Date: November 26, 1982
The effectiveness of this meeting does not reach the NBA games, but then this game had the highest score in international basketball history. Iraq was considered the clear favorite of the group, they won all four meetings. Yemen lost four matches and never earned more than 60 points.
Highest score in basketball
Content
Top 10 biggest scores in basketball history
100 points in basketball is considered a grandmaster's score. However, not always such performance was a guarantee of victory. The history of this game knows cases when both teams far exceeded the 100-point bar. If we take into account only professional teams, then the biggest score in basketball was recorded in the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets, which on December 13, 1983 for two scored 370 points. It is noteworthy that the other 9 places in the top are also occupied by representatives of the NBA, indirectly answering the question of where they play the brightest and most productive basketball.
10. Boston Celtics 173-139 Minneapolis Lakers (27/02/1959) Score 312 points for two is extremely difficult even with several overtimes. However, in 1959, in a regular season match, Boston and Minneapolis were able to meet the main 48 minutes. To a greater extent, this achievement belongs to the players of the Celtics, who literally defeated their opponents, providing a difference of 34 points.
Boston Celtics vs. Minneapolis Lakers, 1959
Tom Heinsohn was the top scorer in the game with 43 points. In general, 13 basketball players from both teams overcame the 10-point mark. And one of them, Bob Cosey, also made 28 assists. By the way, Bob held the title of the most passing player for 8 years - from 1953 to 1960.
9. San Antonio Spurs 161:153 Denver Nuggets (11/7/1990) Unlike the previous match, where there was a clear favorite, the battle that took place at the beginning of November 1990 between San Antonio and Denver was uncompromising. Each team took two quarters, and the third 12-minute was decisive, which the Spurs managed to win with a 16-point handicap.
San Antonio's David "Admiral" Robinson was the hero of the game with 43 points, 9 rebounds, 5 blocks and 4 assists. Interestingly, Robinson played for the Spurs throughout his professional career, eventually earning the honor of becoming a member of the NBA Hall of Fame.
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6-8. Phoenix Suns - Denver Nuggets 173:143 (11/10/1990) 1990 was truly a record-breaking year in the world of basketball, with the Denver Nuggets being one of the players almost every time. This time Denver's rival was Phoenix, who didn't put things off the table and literally terrorized the opponent's ring in the first two quarters, scoring 107 points. Having moderated the ardor a little in the second half of the meeting, the Suns nevertheless calmly brought the match to victory.
Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets emblems in 1990
In addition to the unimaginable score, this match was marked by another record. Phoenix coach Cotton Fidzimons scored 700 career wins, becoming only the 7th coaching man to surpass that mark.
6-8. Cincinnati Royals - San Diego Rockets 165:151 (03/12/1970). Cincinnati Royals 1969-1970 season. demonstrated excellent performance, which peaked in the period February-March, when the team scored an average of 127 points per game. This trend was not only confirmed in the match against the San Diego Rockets, but became even more obvious. The Royals scored an amazing 165 points, with the main push coming in the first quarter, in which the Rockets were outplayed by 18 points.
1970 San Diego Rockets Roster
One of the last games in the Cincinnati Royals jersey for team legend Oscar Robertson. Over the course of 10 years, he averaged 29.3 points, 10.3 assists and 8.5 rebounds. In April 1970, Big O was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
6-8. Philadelphia Warriors - New York Knicks 169:147 (03/02/1962) The March 2, 1962, game between the Warriors and the Knicks will forever go down in American basketball history as the "Chamberlain 100-Point Game." Philadelphia Philadelphia center Wilt Chamberlain scored exactly 100 points - an NBA record that many experts consider eternal. When Wilt had 41 points after 2 quarters, his teammates decided to play exclusively for him so that he could beat his own record of 79points.
Wilt Chamberlain in 1962
The final result exceeded even the wildest expectations. At the end of the match, the spectators present in the stands chanted only one phrase: “Give the ball to Chamberlain!”, And the Warriors players gladly followed this instruction. Having scored the hundredth point a minute before the end of the game, the main character of the match simply stopped in the center of the court, not even trying to increase the record, because he did not want to spoil the round figure. The photo of Chamberlain holding up a 100 sign is considered one of the greatest images in NBA history.
4-5. Phoenix Suns - New Jersey Nets 161:157 (12/7/2006) The highest scoring game of the new era is the Suns-Nets matchup in the 2006-2007 season. The game ended only after the second overtime, while during the meeting the leader changed 34 times. After the meeting, Phoenix Suns coach Michael d'Anthony stated that it was the best game he had ever seen.
The teams scored 318 points together, first of all, thanks to the inspired game of their leaders - Steve Nash and Jason Kidd. The first scored 42 points, made 13 assists and made 6 rebounds, the indicators of the second are no less impressive - 38 points, 14 assists and 14 rebounds. The difference of 4 points between the performance of Nash and Kidd, in fact, became decisive, since such a handicap was observed in the final protocol of the match.
4-5. Denver Nuggets - San Antonio Spurs 163:155 (01/11/1984) In the 1983-1984 season. The Denver Nuggets have established themselves as the most offensive force in the Western Conference. At the same time, the Nuggets did not differ in particularly reliable defense, so the matches with their participation turned out to be extremely productive. Perhaps the most striking proof of this fact is the match between Denver and San Antonio, in which each team scored over 150 points without using a single overtime for this.
The first two quarters went to the Nuggets, who created a comfortable 18-point handicap. The Spurs did not give up and halved the gap, but they could not snatch the final victory or at least take the game to overtime. The most productive player of the meeting was Kiki Vandeweghe, having realized 21 shots out of 30 attempts.
3. Golden State Warriors 162:158 Denver Nuggets (11/2/1990) The highest score in a non-overtime game was the Warriors vs. the Nuggets on November 2, 1990 in the regular season. For one of the highest scoring teams in history, Denver, it was the first home game of the 1990-1991 season. and introducing new head coach Paul Westhead to the local public.
Coach Paul Westhead
In the match, both teams used a total of 22 players and 21 of them managed to hit the opponent's basket at least once, while 12 basketball players scored more than 10 points. Golden State Warriors' small forward Chris Mullin scored 38 points, one point ahead of Nuggets' Orlando Woolridge.
2. San Antonio Spurs 171:168 Milwaukee Bucks (3/6/1982) 3 overtimes is a fairly rare occurrence in the NBA, even given the uncompromising nature of most matches in the regular season and especially in the playoffs. It is to this match that the meeting between the San Antonio Spurs and the Milwaukee Bucks, which ended with a unique score, belongs. 337 points for two is the second highest figure among professional teams not only in America, but also in the world.
1982 Milwaukee Bucks Roster
Throughout the game, the opponents kept very close to each other, so regular time did not reveal the winner. Two overtimes also turned out to be a draw, and only in the third added five-minute period did the Spurs manage to break away by 3 decisive points. George Gervin contributed the most with 50 points, 24 of which came in overtime.
1. Detroit Pistons 186-184 Denver Nuggets (12/13/1983)
For many modern basketball fans, Detroit is associated with a defensive team, for which sometimes it is enough to score 80 points to win. However, in season 1983-1984 it was a brightly attacking team with an average performance of 117 points. The Denver Nuggets were considered an even more reckless team, averaging 123 points per game.
But when a new league competing against the NBA was dreamed up in the mid-1960s, the 3-point shot was back in the spotlight.
The 3-point shot, at first, wasn't part of the package.
"Don't give them the 25-footer, which is something players had been conditioned to do all their lives. And as a coach, if you have a shooter with range, you have to give him the freedom to take the 25-footer, which is a philosophy that goes against what you learned as a young coach--namely, pound the ball inside."
But by the time his remarkable tenure with the Bulls wrapped up, he was consistently shooting better than 35 percent from 3-point range.
"
24 meters).
Which is sort of worked, numbers were up but not as much as the league thought they would be it actually took a number of years such as the third year where it really became apart of coaches plays. They then moved back the line to its original distance.
When a shot was taken, the crowd would be in awe as it went up and didn’t often make it in the hoop as shooting percentages were poor. But when it did go in the crowd erupted like a ferocious dunk in traffic.
Accuracy wouldn’t have been exactly dead eye so to speak.
They attempted 2370 shots and shot a record 40 percent from the field as a team.
It was more if you are open shoot the three.
I was watching the Houston Rockets play their second game of the season and they took more than 50 three-pointers in one game. As of the 2019/20 season Houston is averaging almost 50 threes a game.
Where are we going to put that line, players are already shooting 5 feet away from the line with such efficiency.
The Nuggets took the lead and had a 12-point lead in the first quarter. Then the Spurs turned on - after the third period they were already leading by 9 points. The final quarter was tied, with the Spurs winning by handicap. The hero of the meeting was David Robinson, a veteran of San Antonio, who scored 43 points. 
Then Phoenix let go of the game and allowed the opponent to recoup a little, but the received margin of safety was enough to win. 
The fact is that Philadelphia center Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in it. This is an absolute record, only Kobe Bryant came close to it in 2006 - only 81 points. Chamberlain single-handedly humiliated the Knicks and allowed the game to be the sixth-highest score in NBA and all basketball history. Dave Budd later admitted that Wilt was unstoppable even with five of them. 
" 
Both of these factors led to the fourth highest scoring game in basketball history. There was not a single overtime here - both clubs scored more than 150 points only in regular time. The main character was Kiki Vandeweghe - he single-handedly scored 50 points. 
The main duel unfolded between Chris Mullin of the Golden State and Orlando Woolridge of the Nuggets: Mullin scored 38 points, Wooldridge - 37. 
The Pistons won by just two points. 
If we take into account only professional teams, then the biggest score in basketball was recorded in the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets, which on December 13, 1983 for two scored 370 points. It is noteworthy that the other 9 places in the top are also occupied by representatives of the NBA, indirectly answering the question of where they play the brightest and most productive basketball. 
And one of them, Bob Cosey, also made 28 assists. By the way, Bob held the title of the most passing player for 8 years - from 1953 to 1960. 
This time Denver's rival was Phoenix, who didn't put things off the table and literally terrorized the opponent's ring in the first two quarters, scoring 107 points. Having moderated the ardor a little in the second half of the meeting, the Suns nevertheless calmly brought the match to victory. 
Having scored the hundredth point a minute before the end of the game, the main character of the match simply stopped in the center of the court, not even trying to increase the record, because he did not want to spoil the round figure. The photo of Chamberlain holding up a 100 sign is considered one of the greatest images in NBA history. 
The first scored 42 points, made 13 assists and made 6 rebounds, the indicators of the second are no less impressive - 38 points, 14 assists and 14 rebounds. The difference of 4 points between the performance of Nash and Kidd, in fact, became decisive, since such a handicap was observed in the final protocol of the match. 
The Spurs did not give up and halved the gap, but they could not snatch the final victory or at least take the game to overtime. The most productive player of the meeting was Kiki Vandeweghe, having realized 21 shots out of 30 attempts. 
It is to this match that the meeting between the San Antonio Spurs and the Milwaukee Bucks, which ended with a unique score, belongs. 337 points for two is the second highest figure among professional teams not only in America, but also in the world. 
