OAKLAND, Calif. -- Golden State guard Stephen Curry broke his own NBA record for 3-pointers in a season in the Warriors' 116-105 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.
The MVP candidate entered the game four 3s shy of the record of 272, which he set two years ago in the season finale at Portland. He made four 3s in the first quarter, tying the mark with a shot near the top of the arc after coming off a pick-and-roll with Draymond Green. He surpassed the record with a 3-pointer in transition with 4:28 remaining in the second quarter.
Curry finished with eight 3s in the game, giving him 276 for the season. He scored 45 points on 73.9 percent shooting (17-for-23) and added 10 assists in the win, which clinched the NBA's best record for the Warriors (currently 64-15).
He became the first player in NBA history to score 45 points on a night in which he took 25 shots or fewer and five or fewer free throw attempts, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
"I finally played a fourth quarter," Curry joked, indirectly referring to how many lopsided wins have limited his playing time. "So I wanted to get out there and make some plays."
Curry teamed with fellow "Splash Brothers" star Klay Thompson to bring the Warriors back from 13 points down and avoid their first three-game losing streak this season.
"He's our MVP," Thompson said. "He should be for the league."
Curry became the first Warriors player with at least 40 points and 10 assists in a game since Latrell Sprewell in 1997.
"He played like he wants to be MVP," Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge said.
Added Damian Lillard: "We tried to mix up our coverages a little bit because he came out making shots from everywhere. It pretty much just didn't matter. He made shots with a hand in his face, off balance, deep, everything. He just had it going."
Ray Allen held the previous record of 269 3-pointers with the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2005-06 season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
