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Harden moves into second place on the NBA’s all-time three-pointers list

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – James Harden passed Ray Allen for second on the NBA’s all-time three-pointers list on Sunday night against the Utah Jazz.

Harden made two three-pointers and finished with 20 points, 11 assists and 6 rebounds to help the LA Clippers to a 116-105 win at Intuit Dome.

“Unbelievable performance,” Harden said of his 3-pointer with 6:09 left in the first quarter, which tied him for second in league history. “Just a testament to the amount of work I’ve put in. As I get older and have had an incredible career, I’m starting to achieve things like that. So I don’t ever want to take it for granted again.

“I just want to give motivation to the youth and any other person who is chasing a dream to play professional basketball or whatever it is. So it’s an honor.”

As for anyone dreaming of catching all-time leader Stephen Curry, Harden says no one will ever break Curry’s record. Harden now has 2,975 career three-pointers, passing Allen’s 2,973. Curry, whose Warriors face Harden and the Clippers on Monday, currently has 3,782 career three-pointers.

“I’m one of the most confident guys we have in this league,” Harden said. “But no, I probably won’t catch Steph. And honestly, I don’t think anyone will. … I don’t know, man … he can shoot the ball. And he’s awarded a lot.” of these guys are on that list as catch-and-shoot players, so they came off pindowns, they were spot shots or something. Now where the game has evolved, guys like Steph are coming off pindowns, he’s creating isos, he’s coming off pick-and-rolls. So there are so many different variables to being able to shoot the 3, make shots and do it at an efficient high level.

“So someone has to have an incredible career, shoot the ball well and make a lot of threes. I mean, if it happens, it will be when we’re gone. So that’s going to take a while.” .”

Harden recently said in an interview with ESPN’s Shams Charania that “Steph doesn’t count” and that he considers himself No. 1 in most three-pointers made because of the extremely good shooter that Curry is.

Harden, 35, and Curry, 36, are part of the same 2009 draft class, with Harden going No. 3 to Oklahoma City and Curry going No. 7 to Golden State.

Together they have helped change the way the game is played from today’s perimeter-oriented style and have become creative shooters at scoring from beyond the arc.

“To be a scorer, like he can score at all three levels,” Clippers coach Ty Lue said. “And to be second all-time in 3-pointers made is crazy and there are a lot of tough 3s – off the dribble, step-backs, pocket 3s, pull-ups off the dribble and pick-and-rolls and just to see what he has accomplished.

“Being a 2 guard when he came into the league and then switching to a point guard his entire career… that’s a crazy stat, a crazy achievement and I’m just happy for him.”

The Clippers posted a video of Kevin Durant, Harden’s former teammate from Oklahoma City and Brooklyn, watching footage of him assisting Harden on his first three-pointer made with the Thunder.

“Congratulations on achieving an amazing feat,” Durant said in the video. “All the work you’ve put in has paid off. You inspire so many people around the world with the way you play. You’ve been a great teammate and a great friend.”

Harden credited Durant and former teammate Russell Westbrook with creating a foundation for the work ethic he needed to get to this point in his career.

“Man with longevity,” Harden said of his former Thunder teammates. “They set the blueprint. When I got there, they already had the blueprint of how to work, how to be a professional in this league, and all I did was just stand in line.

“… From that moment on, I felt so comfortable and confident in myself that when I got traded to Houston, I just knew I was going to be successful. I learned how to work at a young age. So shoutout to KD , shoutout to Russ and a whole organization in Oklahoma City for that ground building they gave me.”

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