Keegan Murray's clean 3-point stroke has him etched in the rookie record book.
With Paolo Banchero having put the Kia Rookie Ladder in a virtual headlock from nearly opening night, there has been limited time in the spotlight for what’s developed into a strong rookie class.
But 2022 No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray of the Sacramento Kings wrested momentary control on Wednesday, sinking his 188th 3-pointer of the season (462 3-point attempts, 40.7% on 3-pointers) to seal the single-season rookie record for most makes from long distance. Donovan Mitchell, then playing for the Utah Jazz, set the record at 187 in 2017-18.
Murray broke the record with with 6:44 to go in the third quarter to set the record, flashing an understated grin after the shot fell as he finished with 13 points in the game in Portland.
𝗞𝟯𝟯𝗚 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗘 👑
Keegan Murray now holds the NBA all-time single-season 3-point record for rookies and has done it with the highest percentage (40.7%) ever for a first-year player with 400+ attempts. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/tk8bmEI1Wp
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) March 30, 2023
𝗞𝟯𝟯𝗚 𝟭𝟴𝟴!
The new rookie record for threes made in a single season in NBA history 🎯 pic.twitter.com/UGRADsgltA
— X – Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) March 30, 2023
Fittingly, the record came in a record-breaking night for the Kings at large as they topped the Trail Blazers, 120-80, to clinch a playoff berth. The win guaranteed Sacramento of its first playoff berth since 2006 and the team’s 16-year playoff drought was the longest in NBA history. It was also the longest active postseason dry spell among teams in the NBA, NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball.
Special team. 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧.#BeamTeam pic.twitter.com/eLwx7E0FwV
— X – Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) March 30, 2023
𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐌𝐀𝐒
Go inside the Kings locker room as Coach Brown speaks with the team and awards the game ball. 👑 pic.twitter.com/Vg0vHqWuqz
— X – Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) March 30, 2023
Murray becomes the third player to top 180 triples, and is the only player to stay over 40% on 3-pointers on more than 400 attempts. Saddiq Bey (’21-22: 175-460; 38%) and Rudy Fernandez (’08-09: 159-398; 39.9%) are the two closest on that front.
Murray’s milestone was not lost on Kings coach Mike Brown in the midst of the celebrating.
“Breaking any type of records at the highest level in anything you do is absolutely amazing. And to see Keegan do that tonight, with the way he’s played all year and how hard he’s worked, was an amazing feat,” Brown said. “You don’t take that for granted. That is hard to do when you’re talking about something in the history of something.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
