James Harden: The Mavericks’ three-point record is going down

The Dallas Mavericks hold the NBA record for three-pointers attempted in a single game with 49. That record dates back to March 5, 1996 when they took on the New Jersy Nets in a regular season game.

If you don’t remember the 1996 New Jersey Nets, it’s a team whose incompetence would become immortalized three months later when they passed on Kobe Bryant and drafted Kerry Kittles instead.

This past Saturday, the Houston Rockets nearly eclipsed that mark when they put up 47 threes to try and keep pace with the San Antonio Spurs. With the 47 three-pointers coming seemingly so easy, the question now is” will the Rockets be the one to break the Mavericks’ launch 50 in a game?

"Yeah, for sure," James Harden said when asked if they'd break the NBA record. "We got so many shooters on this court, it's unbelievable."

In Mike D'Antoni's system, shooting the three has not been an issue. The Rockets are putting up a league-high 36.2 a game, and a good chunk of those thre's are coming in the flow of the offense. Very few are forced, bad shots.

"That's what we do," Harden said. "We're open, guys have confidence, they work on it and we knock them down, we shoot 20, 40, 50, it doesn't matter."

Everyone on the Rockets this season has taken at least one shot from deep, aside from Montrezl Harrell, who can shoot them when he has the chance, and Clint Capela, who can’t. Even Nene has taken and made one.

The message to the team is: if you are open, take the shot. Fifty three-pointers does not seem out of the realm of possibility for this team. Hell, 60 might even be within reach.