On Saturday night, the New York Knicks established an NBA record for 3-point field goal futility when they went 0 for 18 in a 20-point loss to the lowly New Jersey Nets

The Knicks did not approach the 47 three-point shots they tried in a December defeat which is nearly eight times as many as the average for one game. That night, New York took more three- pointers than two-point attempts. They will miss the postseason for a sixth successive year

Last season, NBA clubs set a new high by averaging 545 three-point shots, a 37 percent jump over the last decade. They are on pace this year to sink over 500 three-point attempts per team, about 50 more, on average, than they did only five seasons ago.

Jim Paxson

There are several reasons the three-point shot has become more popular in the professional ranks. Zone defenses have been legal since 2001, more long-range sharpshooters are coming out of colleges and Europe, some new coaches stress it, and salaries are a factor.

According to a Wall Street Journal analysis, the key players with the highest three-point shooting percentages in the NBA this season make 32 % less than the league’s top shot blockers, and 36% less than players who rank highest in steals. Five years ago, the most accurate three-point shooters earned about $ 8.8 million each, compared to $ 7.5 million this season.

David Biderman of The Wall Street Journal writes, “The jury is still out as to whether three-pointers help pro teams win games. In the past decade, the correlation between the number of threes a team makes and its winning percentage is a relatively weak 0.3 on a scale where 1 shows a direct relationship and 0 shows no relationship at all.”

However, the numbers during this 2009-2010 campaign are showing a strong link between long shot success and victories.

Best 3-Point Percentage:

Cleveland and Denver are in first place while Phoenix and Toronto are in second.

Among the top 20 NBA teams in three-point shooting percentage, their average winning percentage is .567. The rest has only a .366 winning percentage.

Most 3-Point Field Goals:

Orlando has the third best record in the NBA while Houston is at .500.

Most 3-Point Attempts:

Among the top 20 NBA teams in three point attempts per game, their average winning percentage is .546 while the remainder of the squads are at .406.

Worst 3-Point Percentage:

The worst three-point shooting clubs won’t be in the playoffs.

Best 3-Point Shooters This Season:

The NBA adopted the three-point shot during the 1979-1980 season. Today, any basket made behind an arc 23 feet, 9 inches from the basket or 22 feet at the corners counts three points.

Record Holders:

The Lakers have lost three games in a row for the first time in two years. They will not finish with a better record than the Cavaliers, who have an easier schedule down the stretch. Yet, Cleveland must deny Orlando and Boston the Eastern Conference title to take advantage of the homecourt edge against Los Angeles in the postseason.

NBA Losses:

By Mark Heisler
Los Angeles Times

This Laker team with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, et al., keeps making less all the time of more. The Gasol-Bynum tandem that looked like it would take them to a level no one could reach is, to date, a dud. Both play better with Odom. Phil Jackson usually finishes games with Pau-Lamar, sometimes with Andrew-Lamar, never with Pau-Andrew. If length and skill that let you play above opponents’ heads—-however infrequently—-don’t get you 110 points, you can always tighten up your defense. Of course, they’d have to start playing some first. Aside from that….and reports Jackson will be asked to take a pay cut…..and speculation he has to win a title to stay at any price….it’s just Dog Days as Usual in Lakerdom. Jackson always brings teams along slowly. It just worked better in Chicago, where he had to hold Michael Jordan and the arch-competitive Bulls back, and his 2000-2001-2002 Laker title teams when Phil just chilled out Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal and flattened everyone in their path. Last season’s champions came along so slowly, they didn’t awaken until the second-round Houston series. And that team, with Bynum out at this stage, was far ahead of this one.

AP Photo/Alex Gallardo

Real Clear Sports
NHL Power Rankings
March 2, 2010

1. WASHINGTON CAPITALS
T2. SAN JOSE SHARKS
T2. CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS
4. LOS ANGELES KINGS
5. VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Thomas Jones

Why would the New York Jets release running back Thomas Jones who ran for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns this past season?

They would have to pay him a $ 3.3 million roster bonus, and his $ 2.8 million base salary. The Jets might still sign Jones to back up Shonn Greene, but the Chiefs are trying to land him first.

Vijay Singh

Vijay Singh was once the world’s number 1 golf player, still ranked number 5 less than two years ago, and won the FedExCup in 2008. But Singh did not even finish in the top three of any tournament last year, the first time that had happened since 1992. Knee and back pain plagued the 46-year-old native of Fiji. Singh had his ranking drop to number 35.

Last Thursday, Vijay was in the gym at PGA National in Florida at 5 a.m., three hours before his tee time in the first round of the Honda Classic. Singh worked out for an hour, then went out and shot a three-under par 67. He followed with rounds of 66, 69 and 72 to finish in a fourth place tie, and win $ 246,400. Vijay said, ” I’m feeling good and seeing a lot of potential out there.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Real Sports Heroes congratulates race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. for his donation of $1 million to the Victory Junction camp in North Carolina for terminally and chronically ill children. The donation will be used to build the Dale Jr. Corral and Amphitheater at the camp that honors the late Adam Petty. The 19-year-old Petty was killed nearly 10 years ago in a practice racing session at a speedway in New Hampshire. Adam was a fourth generation race driver, following in the steps of his great grandfather Lee, his grandfather Richard, and his father Kyle. Adam had a passion for trying to help seriously ill children, and his parents started the camp in his memory. Dale Jr. called Adam “genuine and a great friend.”

Sandra Bullock

We were delighted that Sandra Bullock won the Academy Award for Best Actress in our favorite movie of the year, “The Blind Side.” It was the inspirational story of Michael Oher, who is a starting offensive tackle with the NFL Baltimore Ravens. The motion picture is now far and away the all-time number 1 sports movie at the box office in U. S. history.

Highest Grossing Sports Movies of All-Time in the U. S.

Source: IMDB.com, Sports Business Daily,
The Sporting News