Wolves' Jamal Crawford tops at long-range shots at the end of quarters

When Jamal Crawford banked in a desperation three-pointer from 38 feet away for the Wolves at the end of the first quarter of their game last week at New Orleans, it was a milestone shot on a couple of fronts.

First, it was particularly satisfying for anyone associated with the Wolves to watch Crawford make a desperation heave for Minnesota instead of against it because the 37-year-old veteran has burned the Wolves multiple times in the past.

Second, it moved Crawford to the top of a special list. Per a stat dug out by Wolves/Lynx stat guru Paul Swanson (known affectionately as Swanny), Crawford now has made 10 shots of 35 feet or more in his career. Since the start of the 1996-97 season, no NBA player has made more desperation heaves from that distance (Jason Kidd also had 10 in that span).

Crawford also has attempted 160 such launches in his career. On the list provided by Swanson, only Andre Miller (166 attempts, with five makes) had tried more.

The ability to make those types of shots is part art and part skill, Crawford said. The willingness to take those types of shots might even be more meaningful.

"Sometimes I practice them, but there's an art to it, too. I've been doing it since I was younger," Crawford said. "It's weird because when I first came into the NBA, some people close to me were like, 'Don't shoot that shot, it will mess up your percentage.'

"But I think if you look at it like that, it's selfish. Sure, you can be worried about your own percentage but if that shot goes in, it's a boost for your team and your crowd. I've seen that shot change the momentum of games."

The Clippers won the first game by two points and the second by four. His 38-footer last week for the Wolves — after he stole a pass — broke a 28-28 tie and gave Minnesota a lead at the end of the first quarter of a tight game they eventually won by six points.

The selflessness required to take those shots is part of the game for Crawford, who is the only three-time winner of the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award.

For his career, Crawford shoots 35.0 percent from three-point range. He makes just 6.3 percent of those desperation heaves — better than the league average of 3.7 percent on 35-plus-footers since 1996-97 per that research by Swanny, but still not a high-percentage shot for anyone.

"There are probably some guys who won't take those shots," Crawford said. "I won't say names, but there are some."

It was mentioned to him that if you took out his desperation heaves — the 10 makes but also the 150 misses in 160 attempts — his overall career three-point rate would climb by nearly a full percentage point to 35.8 percent.