On this day in 1975, the Golden State Warriors posted a 109-101 win over the Washington Bullets in Game 3 of the NBA Finals to take a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Hall of Famer Rick Barry led the Warriors to victory with 38 points, including 19 in the first quarter, six assists, five steals and four rebounds. Barry went 12-of-23 from the field, including 14-of-16 from the free-throw with his underhand shooting style.
Aided by Barry, the Warriors as a team collected 17 steals in the contest to set the NBA Finals single-game record. The record stood until 2008 when the Boston Celtics registered 18 in Game 6 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Barry and the Warriors finished off the Bullets in the next game after completing the 4-0 series sweep to claim their first NBA championship. Barry was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player after averaging 29.5 points, five assists and four rebounds.
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