Bulls, Hornets combined for one of the worst NBA games ever
Dec 7, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) warms up before an NBA game against the Washington Wizards at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Critics of the NBA’s ongoing three-point revolution should avoid watching highlights of Friday’s game between the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets at all costs.
The Bulls outlasted the Hornets 109-95 at United Center in Chicago, Ill. On paper, the contest seemed quite ordinary. However, one look at the box score would indicate a different story.
Chicago shot a miserable 14/51 (27.5%) from three-point range in the contest. Charlotte was even worse with their putrid 8/46 (17.4%) clip from distance. The teams combined for a whopping 75 missed three-pointers, which set the record for the most combined three-pointers missed in a single regulation game.
The Hornets and Bulls combined for 75 MISSED three-pointers last night, the most ever in regulation NBA history, per @NateDuncanNBA pic.twitter.com/T4ZlNPIAfh
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 14, 2024
With LaMelo Ball out of the Hornets’ lineup Friday, his co-star Brandon Miller struggled to find success with his outside shot. Miller led all scorers with 21 points on a bad-but-not-terrible 8/21 shooting clip against the Bulls. But Miller went a ghastly 3/15 from three-point range by himself.
To put that in perspective, NBA teams averaged about 15 three-point attempts per game as a whole two decades ago. That number has more than doubled over the last half decade.
With Steph Curry sparking a three-point revolution, it’s no surprise that teams are now firing away from long range on a regular basis. The level of shot-making in the league is arguably at an unprecedented high since the teams emphasized outside shooting.
But the flip side is that fans will have to stomach some gruesome offensive displays like Friday’s Bulls-Hornets game every once in a while.
