Daily NBA Fix 5-25-14: Ray Allen Shines By Doing What Ray Allen Does

Welcome to the Daily NBA Fix for Sunday, May 25, the morning after Ray Allen reminded us—again—why he is one of the greatest shooters ever to lace up a pair of kicks.

Allen hit all four of his 3-point attempts in the fourth quarter Saturday night, scoring 13 of his 16 points in the final 12 minutes to help the Miami Heat pull away from the Indiana Pacers for a 99-87 win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals and a 2-1 lead in the series.

It’s not like we haven’t seen him do this before. In fact, Allen has done it 2,973 times in regular-season play—more than anyone who has ever worn Jerry West’s silhouette on their chest. And he’s done it another 371 times in the postseason, also the most made 3-pointers in NBA history.

Allen, at age 38, is not the player who made 10 All-Star Games and led the NBA in 3-point makes three different seasons.

In terms of percentages, he’s not the most accurate 3-point shooter ever. His 40 percent mark in the regular season is tied with Glen Rice for 36th all-time. In the playoffs, he’s hit 40.2 percent of his attempts, good for 36th on the all-time list.

But that also represents the very best of Ray Allen. For most of his career, he has displayed the consistency of a metronome. He’s not the flashiest player on the floor. But there’s that shooting stroke, the one that has enabled him to become an All-Star in his 20s, remain one into his mid-30s and transition into a hired 3-point gunner in his late 30s.

Since joining the Heat in 2012-13, Allen has attempted 641 3-pointers, almost 54 percent of his total attempts, and he’s made 39.8 percent of them—slightly less than his career mark of 40 percent.

It can be a very difficult transition for a player, the one from star to role player. Allen Iverson tried, but couldn’t pull it off. Others opted to hang up their sneakers rather than make the transition.

Ray Allen, however, made the transition, just has he has throughout a career that has spanned parts of seven seasons in Milwaukee, parts of five campaigns in Seattle, five full years in Boston and two more in Miami, and his role now is a simple one—get open 3s, make open 3s.

The Daily NBA Fix will focus on the happenings around the Association, along with a look at the daily lines for those who want to drop a buck or two on a wager. Here’s some highlights from Saturday’s action: