Stephen Curry may make the career 3-point record an unbreakable one, plus everything National Signing Day

Happy Wednesday morning, folks! Don't look now, but we're halfway through the last full work week of 2021.

Let's get right to it.

Good morning to everyone but especially to...

It was like so many threes we've seen before from Stephen Curry: A full-speed sprint off the ball. A pinpoint pass from Draymond Green -- who has assisted more of Curry's threes than any other player. A stop on a dime and a lightning-quick release. And a swish right through the center of the net.

But this one was different: it was Curry's 2,974th career regular-season three, breaking Ray Allen's NBA record.

It happened in the first quarter on, fittingly, the grandest stage of them all: Madison Square Garden. Both Allen and Reggie Miller (who had the record before Allen) were in attendance, with Allen spectating courtside next to Miller, who was calling the game for TNT.

The atmosphere was electric from the tip for Warriors vs. Knicks, and the crowd was on its feet every time Curry had the ball. When his record-breaking shot went through, The Garden went berserk, and the Knicks called a timeout, allowing Curry to receive the long ovation he so thoroughly deserved. LeBron James, Tom Brady and plenty of others weighed in on social media as well.

As incredible as this accomplishment is, it's just another step in cementing a legacy that could leave him as a top-five player all-time, writes columnist Bill Reiter:

Reiter: "Curry does not fit the mold of an all-timer... But Steph has his own unique Mount Rushmore resume, one currently incomplete for a top five all-time player but certainly within reach. He's the greatest shooter of all time... He, like Jordan, has defined a generation of the sport and called forth a next generation crafted in his image -- imitators of not his skill but of how he's changed the game. Steph's greatness, while not as overpowering as LeBron's or deep in its breadth, nonetheless synthesizes rare talent into championships while defining a long span of the game."

One more note of praise for Curry before we move on: Our NBA scribe Brad Botkin wrote last night that it's realistic Curry can hit over 5,000 threes before he retires.

Oh, and the Warriors won the game, 105-96, too.

Honorable mentions:

Memphis got an impressive and much-needed win, beating No. 6 Alabama 92-78. The Tigers have been up-and-down this season, but this could be a turning point, writes our college basketball scribe Gary Parrish.
J.R. Smith returning to college at North Carolina A&T has been one of the best feel-good stories of 2021. And the story gets even better. The longtime NBA guard posted a 4.0 GPA in his first semester of college at 36, and he took to Instagram to show just how much it meant to him.
Shoutout to Riverheads High School! The Gladiators won their sixth straight Virginia High School League Class 1 state championship and have won 50 games in a row, the longest active streak in the nation. Riverheads is 25 minutes from where I grew up, and I can tell you, this tiny program's consistency is incredible. They have dominated for years on end, and I'm glad they're being recognized nationally.

And not such a good morning for...

PAIGE BUECKERS

UConn star Paige Bueckers -- who was the national player of the year last year as a freshman -- underwent surgery to repair her fractured left leg and torn meniscus, the school announced Tuesday. She will miss at least two months.

This is a huge blow for the Huskies and for women's college basketball as a whole. The injury, which occurred in UConn's blowout win over Notre Dame on Dec. 5, turned out to be even more severe than initially expected. It's hard to quantify Bueckers's impact in numbers: She can score at all three levels and is a terrific passer. She's a superstar in every sense of the word on the most iconic women's college basketball program on the planet. Her absence has already been felt, writes our Steven Taranto:

Taranto: "The absence of Bueckers has already had a noticeable impact on the Huskies' women's team. In their first game without her, UConn lost 57-44 to unranked Georgia Tech, ending a streak of 239 consecutive games without a loss to an unranked opponent. The team bounced back on Saturday with a 71-61 victory over UCLA."

Not so honorable mentions:

COVID-19 may get its own section in this newsletter again soon, but we'll try to keep it short today. Odell Beckham Jr. was one of nine Rams placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday alone, and the team has closed its training facility. Washington and Cleveland are also battling outbreaks, and we have created a tracker for all the latest COVID-19 developments around the NFL.
We also have a tracker for the NBA -- the Nets are the latest team battling an outbreak while Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is also in protocols -- and one for all sports in general. Trust me, you need it to keep up.
If a free throw goes in but the scorekeeper doesn't put it on the scoreboard, does it really count? That's the conundrum sportsbooks and gamblers faced regarding a men's basketball game between Illinois State and Chicago State. Illinois State won 80-71, but a free throw by Illinois State's Josiah Strong wasn't reflected in the initial final score. Illinois State was favored by 9.5 at multiple sportsbooks, so the free throw loomed large. Caesars Sportsbook announced it would pay out all who betted on the contest, and the score was eventually updated to the correct 81-71 final, but this one stressed out all parties involved.

Happy National Signing Day! Now get to CBS Sports HQ immediately 🏈

It's National Signing Day! Of course, we have you covered all day, with the 247Sports Signing Day Show starting at 9 a.m. and running through 4 p.m. on both CBS Sports HQ and the 247Sports YouTube page.

There will 11 live commitments from top Class of 2022 prospects on CBS Sports HQ throughout the day, and you can see all the details here.

There are plenty of storylines to follow, writes recruiting expert Brandon Huffman:

Huffman: "The big question: Will Texas A&M reach the top spot? Georgia and Alabama are currently 1-2 in the 247Sports Composite team rankings with the Bulldogs taking the lead back on Tuesday morning after the Crimson Tide overtook them a week ago. But watch out for the Aggies. ... If they can just hold on to five-star DL Walter Nolen, the No. 2 prospect in the country, it will not only solidify Texas A&M in the top three but also give it enough points to contend for the top spot."

Huffman also has predictions for where the top uncommitted recruits will end up, as well as class rankings.

Pete Prisco's latest Power Rankings have a big change at the top 👀

With just four weeks left in the regular season, this NFL season feels more wide open than most years. It's the first time since 2014 that every team has at least three losses through Week 14. No one has officially clinched a playoff spot yet.

That leaves Pete Prisco's Power Rankings ever-changing, especially after several impactful Week 14 results. Here's the top five:

Packers (last week: 2)
Buccaneers (last week: 3)
Patriots (last week: 4)
Cardinals (last week: 1)
Chiefs (last week: 5)

Meanwhile, six teams shared the title of "biggest climbers," including a potential Super Bowl contender from both the NFC and the AFC:

Cowboys (from 10 to 7): "The defense will be trouble going forward now that the injured down players are back on the field. They can wreck a game. Dak Prescott does have to pick it up."
Chargers (from 11 to 8): "They have won two straight and head to a big Thursday night game with the Chiefs looking good. Justin Herbert is back in a big way."

Who's going to make the cut for the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot? ⚾

The 30-player Baseball Hall of Fame ballot is out, and while we have to wait until Jan. 25 to know the full 2022 class, it's intriguing to wonder who will least remain on the ballot going forward and who won't. Nominees have to receive at least 5% of the vote to stay on, and there are some big names who could slide off come the next voting cycle.

Our MLB expert Matt Snyder made his predictions, including one for a former Yankees star...

"[Mark Teixeira] was a middle-order hitter on the 2009 Yankees World Series championship team, leading the AL with 39 homers and 122 RBI that season. Will that be enough to overcome him not hitting generally required power benchmarks in the counting stats for first basemen? ... Fred McGriff and Don Mattingly lasted a while on the ballot, so maybe Teixeira has a shot. Then again, Will Clark and Carlos Delgado fell off after one try, so maybe not."

What we're watching Wednesday 📺

🏀 No. 1 South Carolina at No. 15 Duke, 7 p.m. on ACC Network
🏀 Lakers at Mavericks (+1), 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Clippers at Jazz (-8.5), 10 p.m. on ESPN