That One Time the Raptors Donyell Marshall Made 12 3-Pointers

Donyell Marshall was on “Mike’s Secret Stuff” this one game in 2005 and set a 3-point shooting record for the Toronto Raptors.

Donyell Marshall was never a big 3-point shooter.

He was a good shooter but he didn’t shoot the ball like the likes of Ray Allen or Kyle Korver.

From his rookie season up until the 2003-04 NBA season, he only averaged 0.7 made three-pointers a game.

But, for whatever reason, his skillset evolved in the 04-05 season.

Maybe the Toronto Raptors changed their game plan. Maybe it was Marshall playing more of an old man game (he turned 31 that year).

I’m not entirely sure why, but Marshall averaged more made threes per game (2.3) than ever before. He also took more per game as well (5.6).

In addition to these career-breaking numbers, he also hit a record high for three-pointers made in a single game this season.

During a game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 13, 2005, Marshall made 12 3-pointers on 63 percent shooting.

He started the game off pretty hot. He came in about halfway in the first quarter and hit 4-4 threes.

Sam Mitchell, the Raptors’ head coach at that time, was amazed by his forward’s performance and let him play nearly the entirety of the second quarter.

However, he only sank a couple more threes.

So, Mitchell didn’t let him much in the third because he was trying to get the win (which is much more important than individual accomplishments).

But by the fourth quarter, the Raptors had a whopping 22-point lead. Marshall was put back into the lineup and this is when he shined.

He played a little more than 11 minutes and made 5 3-pointers. By the game’s end, he made a total of 12, matching only Kobe Bryant for most threes made in a single game.

Over a decade later, Marshall admitted to the New York Times the main reason he was able to make all of those threes was that he exploited his opponent’s defense:

“He always used to tell us, even if I call a play, if you see something, go with it. Philly’s whole thing back then was trying to keep the ball out of the paint. I had Chris Webber and Sam Dalembert guarding me a lot. I was open in the corner all night.

“I’d just run to a spot near the line and wait for them to kick it out,” Marshall said.

The record wouldn’t be broken until 11 years later by none other than the Baby Face Assassin, Steph Curry, with 13 made threes.

Marshall played 28 minutes off of the bench that game and scored a career-high 38 points. And more importantly, the Raptors beat the 76ers 128-110.

Watch him set the franchise record here:

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