NBA: 3 Players with highest free throw attempts in a single game
Free-Throws are considered to be the easiest way to score points in basketball. There is a reason for it because the free throws are attempted when the game stops and players have enough time to net them. The opposition does not put any pressure and only the one shooting can stop himself from making it.
Throughout the history of the NBA, we have seen some legendary players like Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal perform terribly from the free-throw line. The list of bad free throw shooters is traditionally filled with centres who dominate the league with their strength and height.
Because of their terrible free-throw shooting, fouling the opposition players' bad free throw shooter has become a norm in the NBA. This can heavily affect the momentum of the team and also the confidence of the shooter.
Let us look at the top three players who attempted the highest number of free throws in a single game in the NBA.
#3 DeAndre Jordan - 34 attempts
DeAndre Jordan is known for dominating the opponents in the paint and is a walking double-double. He is a 2-time consecutive rebounds leader (2014, 2015) and is widely acknowledged for his ability to catch lobs and jam them, apart from his defence.
Although Jordan plays beautifully inside the paint, the same cannot be said about his shooting skills from outside. Last season, he finished fifth worst in free throw shooting with 58 percent. However, this was way better than what he made in 2016-17 (48.0 percent).
During a regular season game in 2015 against the Portland Trail Blazers at home, the visitors used the Hack-A-Jordan strategy to intentionally foul Jordan and send him to the free throw line. He only netted 12 free throws after attempting 34 with a terrible free-throw shooting percentage of 35.3.
After all this, the Clippers still won the game, thanks to Jordan's 18 points and 24 rebounds. Even though he could not perform from the free throw line and the pressure was building, Jordan did not lose him calm and ensure the Clippers' win that night.