All articles tagged with #three pointers
Missouri (No. 10) clashes with Miami (No. 7) in the NCAA Tournament in St. Louis, with betting analysis centering on Trent Pierce and Miami's vulnerable 3-point defense; the top bet is Pierce Over 1.5 threes, complemented by a same-game parlay featuring Stone, Donaldson, and Washington hitting threes and a Missouri team-total over, all set against Miami’s edge in turnover margin and rebounding.
UConn remains undefeated through 34 games and is favored to win the national title, but experts flag a few potential threats in March Madness. The Huskies’ defense and paint protection keep them ahead, yet their willingness to concede 3-pointers can be exploited by hot outside shooting. In the Fort Worth 1 region, Vanderbilt, Texas and UCLA stand out as plausible upset candidates thanks to high-volume 3-point attack and relentless pressure, with Ohio State and Tennessee also capable of disrupting UConn's rhythm. Even if one of these teams pushes them, UConn’s scoring margin, assists and defensive metrics keep them as the team to beat.
Louisville couldn’t match Miami's size or outside shooting, going 6-for-24 from three and committing 13 turnovers that Miami converted into 21 points, as the Hurricanes pulled away for a 78-73 win that ends Louisville’s ACC Tournament run. Ryan Conwell led Louisville with 22 points and nine rebounds, J’Vonne Hadley added 19, and Khani Rooths scored 11 in nine minutes, while Reneau led Miami with 24 points in a game decided by a late turnover that sealed the outcome.
Wisconsin nailed 18 of 34 from three, including a first-half burst of 12 threes, to beat No. 15 Purdue 97-93 at Mackey Arena on Senior Day and hurt the Boilermakers’ bid for a top-four Big Ten seed. Purdue’s Fletcher Loyer became the program’s career leader in 3-pointers with six makes, while Braden Smith (20) and Trey Kaufman-Renn (16) provided scoring. John Blackwell led Wisconsin with 25 points and Nick Boyd added 23 as Aleksas Bieliauskas contributed 4 of 5 from deep; Wisconsin improved to 7-43 all-time in Mackey Arena and played without Nolan Winter. The result underscored Purdue’s defensive issues and Wisconsin’s hot shooting as postseason play approaches.
No. 9 Nebraska shot only 38.8% and went 5-for-24 from three as UCLA started strong and pulled away to a 72-52 win on Senior Night in Los Angeles. Sam Hoiberg led NU with 12 points, with Rienk Mast and Cale Jacobsen adding 11 each. UCLA shot 46% and hit 10 threes, improving to 17-1 at home. A late Husker push cut the lead to 57-47 with 6:49 left, but a crucial foul and a Bilodeau 3-pointer helped UCLA restore the margin. Nebraska finishes Big Ten play with a 7-3 road mark and will host Iowa on Sunday for Senior Day.
With a six-man rotation, Minnesota edged UCLA 78-73 as Bobby Durkin scored 23 points on seven 3-pointers and Langston Reynolds added 21, while the Gophers tallied 24 assists on 29 makes in an efficient, unselfish night; UCLA's Tyler Bilodeau had 32, and Minnesota's defense showed some leaks but the offense stayed hot from deep (over 52% from three) despite 10 incoming transfers and six season-ending injuries.
Tyrese Maxey became the Sixers’ all-time leader in made three-pointers, drilling five first-quarter triples to eclipse Allen Iverson and cap a 124-117 win over the Miami Heat, as Embiid returned from an injury scare and Philadelphia withstood a late rally to secure a key playoff-positioning victory.
Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel became the fastest player in NBA history to reach 200 made 3-pointers, accomplishing the feat in 58 games, while leading rookies with 201 threes this season and helping Charlotte push toward a play-in spot.
LeBron James is in a February shooting slump, hitting just 21.1% from three on 4.8 attempts per game (about 28% of his shots) and posting a team-low 109.0 offensive rating with a -2.1 net rating, yet the Lakers are 5-3 with him active; some observers suggest LeBron should seek more scoring opportunities elsewhere or adjust his shot selection to avoid derailing the season, especially as his 2025-26 three-point percentage sits at 30.3% on 4.6 attempts, well below last season’s 37.6% and his catch-and-shoot efficiency (42.0% in 2024-25). With 26 games left and a likely summer roster reshaping, balancing LeBron’s offense could determine the Lakers’ playoff chances after back-to-back early exits with Doncic’s era.
San Antonio surrounded Victor Wembanyama with shooters and ball handlers, hitting 18 threes to Detroit's seven as the Spurs beat the Pistons 114-103. Devin Vassell (28) and Julian Champagnie (17) carried the offense while Cade Cunningham struggled (5-for-26), highlighting Detroit's lack of reliable shooting and playmaking around him in a playoff-like, bounce-back game for a top opponent.
Michigan jumped out to a 15-0 run and never trailed Purdue, routing the Boilermakers 91-80 behind a 13-for-23 night from three (56.5%), a strong front-court effort from Lendeborg, Johnson and Mara, and 17 points/7 assists from Elliot Cadeau, while Kaufman-Renn led Purdue with 27 points and 11 rebounds as Michigan’s perimeter shooting dictated the game.
Minnesota rode a season-high 22 made threes to a 123-111 win over Oklahoma City at home, led by Anthony Edwards (26) and Jaden McDaniels (21) with Naz Reid adding 18. The Wolves forced 16 Thunder turnovers for 30 fast-break points, never trailed, and reinforced their status as playoff contenders with a potentially stronger backcourt ahead of the trade deadline.
After a season-long slump and injuries, Jared McCain finally broke out for the Sixers, scoring 17 on 8 shots and hitting four threes in the fourth quarter to fuel a win over Milwaukee. The burst followed a similar late-game stretch the night before, as coach Nick Nurse leaned on him as a third guard and McCain drew confidence from Embiid’s attention and supportive teammates.
Indiana rolled to an 82-59 win at Rutgers, led by a near-perfect first half and a balanced attack. Nick Dorn started in place of the injured Tayton Conerway and scored 23, Tucker DeVries had 22 points (16 in the first half) with 10 boards and six assists, and Lamar Wilkerson added 27 in 12 minutes. Sam Alexis contributed 4 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks, as IU went 15-for-35 from three and produced 1.39 points per possession. Rutgers struggled, grabbing only 24% of its misses and posting a 24% free-throw rate. The Hoosiers led 47-32 at halftime and never relented, snapping their four-game skid in Piscataway and returning home to face Purdue at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday on Peacock and NBCSN.
Al Horford led the Boston Celtics to a dramatic 114-111 comeback win against the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals by hitting a playoff-career-high seven three-pointers, scoring 23 points, and helping the team erase an 18-point second-half deficit. The Celtics now need just one more win to advance to the NBA Finals.