Jamal Crawford has reserve 3-point record in his crosshairs
Jamal Crawford probably isn't aware that he's chasing a record, but with another seven 3-pointers on Monday, he definitely is.
Following Crawford's 36-point outburst against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, we highlighted that he's on pace to post the 13th-highest scoring average ever for a player who qualifies for the Sixth Man of the Year Award (meaning he's come off the bench more than he's started). With 24 points on Monday, Crawford is now averaging 19.1 points, which would rank 12th among such player seasons.
Needless to say, Crawford is a heavy favorite to take home the Sixth Man of the Year Award, the second time he would have done so.
But it's not just his scoring that has been elite as far as the history of reserves goes. With his seven triples on Monday, Crawford now has 141 on the season and is on pace for 196. That would be the second-highest total ever for a reserve, behind only Ryan Anderson's 213 makes from last season.
It seems like a tall task to catch Anderson, and it might be, but Crawford has been on fire of late. He's averaging 2.39 triples a game, but an even three a game over his past 19 outings. In order to catch Anderson, Crawford would need to make 3.13 a night. It's not going to be easy, but he's got an outside chance.
And hey, if he just keeps up his current pace, he'll have the 12th-highest bench scoring season ever and the second most threes ever for a reserve, plus (probably) his second 6MOY trophy. That isn't too bad, either.
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