The Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets, two teams struggling to gain traction this season, delivered a performance on Friday night that left fans shaking their heads. While neither team entered the game with high expectations—the Hornets at 7-17 and the Bulls at 10-15—what unfolded was a truly dismal display of shooting, culminating in an NBA record that no one wanted to see broken.
A Night to Forget
The game, held at Chicago’s United Center, saw the two teams combine for a staggering 75 missed 3-point attempts, all during regulation. The Bulls managed to hit just 14-of-51 from beyond the arc, shooting a woeful 27.5%. The Hornets, however, somehow outdid—or rather underdid—their opponents, connecting on a dismal 8-of-46 attempts for a paltry 17.4%.
Together, the two teams shattered the NBA record for most combined missed 3-pointers in a single game. While the Bulls walked away with a 109-95 victory, it’s hard to argue that anyone truly won in what can only be described as a shooting disaster.
The Rise (and Fall) of the 3-Point Revolution
The record-breaking performance underscores a larger issue in the NBA: the league’s increasing reliance on the 3-point shot. According to Basketball Reference, teams are averaging 37.5 3-point attempts per game this season, which would obliterate the previous record of 35.2 set during the 2021-22 campaign. The trend of increasing 3-point attempts is clear, with each of the top five seasons for 3-point attempts occurring in the last five years.
While this shift aligns with modern analytics, which prioritize the efficiency of 3-pointers over mid-range shots, it’s leading to a growing backlash among fans. The league-wide shooting percentage from beyond the arc this season stands at 35.9%, ranking just 10th all-time. In other words, fans aren’t just witnessing more shots—they’re witnessing more misses.
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The Game’s Changing Identity
Critics argue that the game has lost some of its artistry in favor of a volume-shooting approach. Instead of carefully orchestrated ball movement and shot selection, many teams now focus on sheer quantity from deep, regardless of the quality of their shooters.
While players like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have redefined what’s possible from beyond the arc, most teams lack the sharpshooting talent to make this strategy consistently effective—or enjoyable to watch.
Friday night’s debacle was a glaring example of the problem. Fans watching the Bulls and Hornets were subjected to an endless barrage of missed 3-point attempts, and the lack of variety in offensive play left many disheartened. The game’s box score felt less like a contest between two professional teams and more like a cautionary tale about the NBA’s overreliance on the 3-ball.
Fan Backlash
The response from fans has been anything but positive. Social media lit up with comments lamenting the lack of offensive creativity and the predictability of modern NBA play. “This isn’t basketball anymore,” one fan tweeted. “It’s just who can chuck up the most 3s and hope they go in.”
Another fan quipped, “If I wanted to see this many bricks, I’d watch a construction site, not an NBA game.”
What Can Be Done?
The league faces a challenging dilemma. On the one hand, the 3-point shot has undeniably revolutionized basketball, creating thrilling moments and redefining what’s possible on the court. On the other hand, its overuse has begun to alienate fans who miss the diversity of offensive styles that once defined the NBA.
Solutions aren’t immediately obvious. Reducing the emphasis on the 3-point shot might require structural changes, such as altering the court dimensions or introducing rule adjustments. However, such changes would be controversial and risk undermining the very innovation that has propelled the league into a new era.
A Night That Highlights the Problem
The Bulls and Hornets game will likely be remembered as a low point in the ongoing evolution of basketball’s 3-point revolution.
While the record-setting 75 missed 3-pointers is an anomaly, it serves as a stark reminder that the league’s current trajectory may need reevaluation. As fans grow increasingly vocal about their dissatisfaction, the NBA will need to find a balance between embracing analytics and preserving the creativity and variety that make the sport so captivating.
For now, Friday’s game stands as both a historical footnote and a warning sign: basketball, at its best, is more than just a numbers game.
