Will Barton passes J.R. Smith for most three-pointers in Nuggets history
The man they call "Will the Thrill" is now atop the history books.
Will Barton cashed in his 769th three as a Nugget on Friday night, making him the franchise's all-time leader in three-pointers made. The historic moment came in Denver's 116-101 win over Houston at home.
He was quiet to start the game, as the Nuggets grinded out a five-point lead at halftime thanks largely to DeMarcus Cousins and other contributors. Barton didn't score his first points until the 6:18 mark in the third quarter, a 16-foot two-point jumper.
He dropped in another two a couple of minutes later, then Kevin Porter Jr. hit a step-back three for the Rockets on the following possession. Barton decided to respond with a triple of his own, as he knocked down his first shot from beyond the arc of the night to tie Smith for the franchise record.
Barton wasn't interested in sharing for long, though. On Denver's next possession, he got the pass and a screen from JaMychal Green, took one dribble and pulled up for three. The outcome was the same as it'd been for 768 times before that: swish.
About a minute of game time later, the Nuggets called timeout and Barton was met with an ovation from the fans and countless high-fives and hugs from his teammates.
Barton finished the game with 11 points on 2-of-6 from deep along with three rebounds and two assists. He's now averaging 15 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game on 35.7 percent from three-point range.
He began his career with the Trail Blazers, with whom he played from 2012-15, but has made his biggest impact with the Nuggets. Over eight seasons in Denver, Barton entered Friday averaging 14 points, five rebounds and 3.3 assists per game on 36.1 percent shooting from three.
Cousins led Denver with 31 points and nine rebounds, and JaMychal Green and Jeff Green both logged 14 points.
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