Curry seals the deal in New York

NEW YORK • Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry eclipsed Ray Allen as the National Basketball Association's three-point king on Tuesday, draining his record 2,974th career trey in the 105-96 win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Curry, whose remarkable shooting range has revolutionised the NBA in his 13-year tenure, matched Allen's record 2,973 three-pointers with 10min 56sec remaining in the first quarter with his first shot of the contest.

He missed a chance at breaking the record but with 7:33 remaining in the opening period, he swished in No. 2,974 over Knicks defender Alec Burks, with Andrew Wiggins getting the assist after passing the ball out to Curry from the paint.

The 33-year-old let out a loud shout as teammates celebrated with him.

"Hell yeah!" teammate Draymond Green roared as photographers gathered round. "That's greatness!"

Curry exchanged an emotional hug with coach Steve Kerr, who corralled the ball used in the record-setting shot, and then embraced his father, former NBA player Dell.

The younger Curry has been scorching towards overtaking Allen's record for years. He finally surpassed the milestone on Tuesday in his 789th career game; Allen had achieved his old benchmark in 1,300 appearances.

Such is his long-range prowess there was real belief that Curry could perhaps break the record with a single-game mark of 16 in a home game against the Portland Trail Blazers last Wednesday.

That did not happen, and the Warriors departed on a road trip with Curry needing 10 more to set a new milestone.

The 76ers' swarming defence held him to just three three-pointers last Saturday. He added five more at Indiana on Monday.

Curry, who said he knew teams would be keen to slow him, was not disappointed to have a shot at the record in the Garden, perhaps the most storied arena in the game.

"I've had some fun nights in that building," said Curry, whose 54-point performance there against the Knicks on Feb 27, 2013 was a harbinger of a career that now includes three NBA titles and two Most Valuable Player awards.

"The whole legacy of that building, how iconic it is - a lot of cool things have happened in that building."

The atmosphere was electric before the game with Allen courtside and Reggie Miller, who held the record for more than a decade before Allen broke it in 2011, on duty as a television commentator.

Both chatted and shared a hug with Curry before the game with filmmaker and Knicks fan Spike Lee catching the moment on his cellphone camera.

"The torch has been passed and it is in good hands," Allen said after Curry ended the night with three more treys for a tally of 2,977.

And the reaction was swift.

"Just landed in Dallas to see @StephenCurry30 broke the record and to make it even doper he did it in the GARDEN!!" Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James tweeted. "WOW CONGRATS BROTHER!! INCREDIBLE"

NBA commissioner Adam Silver called it "thrilling". He added: "He has revolutionised the way the game is played and continues to leave fans in awe with his amazing artistry and extraordinary shooting ability. We congratulate him on this historic achievement."

Added former Lakers great Magic Johnson: "Congratulations to Steph Curry for making history and setting the new NBA All-Time 3-point record tonight!! Thank you @StephenCurry30 for revolutionising the game of basketball forever! It was great to see his parents Dell and Sonya there supporting him!"

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE