ORLANDO - Prior to this season, the most 3-pointers Terrence Ross made in a year was 161. That was his total during his second season in the league while playing for the Raptors, the team that drafted him No. 8 overall in 2012.
On Wednesday, as part of his 23-point performance, Ross drilled his 200th 3-pointer of the season. Assuming he comes off the bench in Orlando’s final three games of the regular season, the 28-year-old will be the first player in NBA history to make at least 200 threes without starting in a single game.
Last season, Wayne Ellington, while playing for the Heat, knocked down 227 triples. But unlike Ross, Ellington started in two of the 77 games he appeared in. The year before, Eric Gordon connected on 246 3-pointers, but he started in 15 of the 75 contests he played in with the Rockets that season.
Ross, Ellington and Gordon are the only players in league history to make at least 200 threes in a single season while starting in 20 or fewer games. Ryan Anderson, while with New Orleans, sank 213 3-pointers in 2012-13. He started in 22 of the 81 games he appeared in.
Before this season, the player who made the most 3-pointers while coming off the bench in every game he appeared in was Jamal Crawford, who buried 163 of them in 2009-10 while playing for the Hawks.
Ross is one of only 11 players so far this year to make 200 or more threes. Gordon (198), Danny Green (190) and Brook Lopez (185) all have chances to join that club by the end of the season.
The Magic swingman’s 3-point shooting was critical against New York. After the Knicks pulled within three late in the third quarter, Ross hit three consecutive treys to close out the period. He shot 5-of-10 from beyond the arc in the game. It was the 12th time this season he drained at least five shots from long distance.
Orlando outscored New York by 27 when Ross, who also recorded four rebounds, five assists and one steal, was on the floor.
Largely because of Ross, who is shooting 37.4 percent from downtown, the Magic have been one of the better 3-point shooting teams in the league. They rank 11th in this category at 35.4 percent.