Basketball World Record: Most 3-Pointers made in One Game (Individual)

Kobe Bryant and Donyell Marshall hold the NBA record for more three-pointers hit in one NBA game.

Both Bryant and Marshall recorded 12 three pointers in a single NBA game. Bryant accomplished the feat when the Lakers played Seattle on January 7, 2003.

Marshall did it even more recently, when his Toronto Raptors took on Philadelphia, on March 13, 2005.

Hitting 12 three-pointers in one game is amazing, but the basketball world record more than doubles the NBA record for threes in a single game.

Back in 1986, Yugoslavian forward Zdenko Babić scored an eye-opening, jaw-dropping 144 points vs. APOEL of Cyprus. What was just as amazing as his point total was the fact that he also hit 28 three-point field goals in that game.

Babic, playing for KK Zadar, outscored his opponents single-handedly, 144-116. The final score?  192-116.

Interbasket forum member Donmar Pineda recently compiled a list of professional players that have made the most three-pointers in a single game – “The list will only include records made by basketball players in a professional basketball league. I don’t care if you know someone who scored 25 or 30 three points shots in game. If the player did it in college or high school then its not meant to be on this list.”

32 three-pointers made in one game:

• Mohammad El-Akkari (April 3, 2012) hit 32/59 threes in scoring 113 points. El-Akkari shot on 40-of-69 from the field in a 173-141 win in a Lebanese Division A League game.
  

28 three-pointers made in one game:

• Zdenko Babić (October 6, 1985): The Yugoslavian forward scored28 three-points field goals made in a single game for the KK Zadar (Croatia) in a 192-116 victory over the Apoelo of Cyprus in the Korac Cup  (144 points: 44 FG, 28 triples, 26 FT)

• Josip Mihaljevic (November 21, 1998): Mihaljevic scored 28 three-points field goals made in a single game for the KK Troglav Livno in a 144-68 victory over the KK Vitez in Professional League of Bosnia-Herzegovina (Croatian Division- Liga Herceg-Bosne)  (105 points: 32/40 FG, 28/36 triples, 13/13 FT) [This record has been purported as a hoax]

17 three-pointers in one game:

• Allan Caidic (November 21, 1991): The Filipino lefty scored 17 three-points field goals made in a single game for the Presto Tivoli in a 162-149 victory over the Ginebra San Miguel in the Philippine Basketball Association (79 points: 29 FG, 17/27 triples, 4/4 FT)

• Chris Lofton (April 25, 2009): This former Tennessee star recorded 17 three-points field goals for the Mersin BSB in a 116-70 victory over the Casa TED Kolejiler in the Turkish Basketball League (61 points: 21/28 FG, 17/22 triples, 2/2 FT)

16 three-pointers in one game:

• Marcelinho Machado (March 7, 2010): The Brazilian superstar hit 16 three-points field goals made in a single game for the Flamengo in a 101-80 victory over the São José in the Novo Basquete Brasil (63 points: 16/21 triples) watch video

15 three-pointers in one game:

• >Allan Caidic (November 2, 1989): Caidic is the only player to appear on this list twice. The Filipino star scored 15 three-points field goals for the Presto Tivoli in a 175-159 OT victory over the Alaska Milkmen in the Philippine Basketball Association (68 points: 15 triples)

• Daryl Dorsey (September 9, 2006): Dorsey hit 15 three-points field goals for the Mayas de Yucatan in a 89-83 victory over the Santos Reales in Mexico’s Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Professional (LNBP) (47 points: 15 triples)

• Fred Vinson (June 22, 2007): Vinson scored 15 three-points field goals in a single game for the Santa Barbara Breakers in a 133-117 victory over the Vancouver Volcanoes in the International Basketball League – A league in Western Canada and Western USA  (46 points: 15 triples)

• Leon Rodgers (March 11, 2009): Rodgers, who had a stint with the Memphis Grizzlies recorded 15 three-pointers for the Jilin Northeast Tigers in a 124-110 victory over the Shanxi Zhongyu in the Chinese Basketball Association (66 points: 24/43 FG, 15/26 triples)

• Leonardo Gutiérrez (December 3, 2010): Argentinian power forward Gutierrez hit 15 flat-footed three-points field goals for the Peñarol de Mar del Plata in a 120-76 victory over the Boca Juniors in Argentina’s Liga Nacional de Básquetbol (LNB) on  (48 points: 15/20 triples, 3/5 FT) watch video

The following players will be added to the list as soon as I find a reliable source (or someone from Croatia and Iceland) that will confirm the Croatian A2 League and Iceland’s D1 League as Professional Basketball Leagues:

• Matej Kuna (20, February 11, 2006): scored 20 three-points field goals made in a single game for the BC Belisce in a 159-77 victory over the Pozega in the Croatian A2 League East  (111 points: 20-26 triples)

• Frank Booker (15, January 17, 1991): scored15 three-points field goals made in a single game for the ÍR in an 88-93 loss to Snæfell in the Iceland’s D1 League  (60 points: 18/39 FG, 15/29 triples, 9/11 FT)

To see the original thread, check out Top 10 Record Holders for the Most Three-Points Shots in a Single Professional Game

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