Capela’s first 3‑pointer

Clint Capela made the first three-pointer of his National Basketball Association career on April 12, ending an 11-season wait in Houston’s regular-season finale. (espn.com) The shot came early in the fourth quarter of the Rockets’ 132-101 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in Houston. ESPN’s recap said Capela had missed his first seven career three-point attempts, including one earlier Sunday, before making that eighth try. (espn.com) Basketball-Reference listed Capela at 738 career regular-season games before Sunday and a career three-point percentage of 0.0 entering the game. That made the make notable mostly because Capela is a 6-foot-10 center whose offense has long come near the rim, not behind the arc. (basketball-reference.com) Capela is 31 and was drafted by Houston with the 25th pick in 2014, then built his career as a screener, lob target and rebounder. Basketball-Reference credits him with 11.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game for his career, plus the 2020-21 rebounding title. (basketball-reference.com) That is why one made three turned into a social-media clip during play-in weekend chatter: it cut against nearly everything on Capela’s stat page. ESPN’s game story said he raised his arms after the shot and Houston’s bench stood and cheered. (espn.com) The timing also fit the game. Houston had already locked up the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, according to ESPN’s standings and recap, and rested Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. in the finale. (espn.com, espn.com) Capela still finished with a season-high 23 points and 13 rebounds against a Memphis team that dressed eight players and ended 25-57. The Rockets closed 52-30 and will face the Los Angeles Lakers, the West’s No. 4 seed, in the first round. (espn.com, espn.com) For a player whose career line has been dunks, putbacks and free throws, the box score now has one more line filled in. After 738 games without a made three, Capela finally has one. (basketball-reference.com, espn.com)