The Boston Celtics made history in their 91-104 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks by becoming the first team in NBA history to go through a game and receive 0 free throws over the contest.
The teams also combined to shoot just two free throws, as the Bucks went to the line for just two shots and converted them at a 50% rate (made one of two). This is also an NBA record, as the previous lowest tally of free throws attempted in a game was 11.
The NBA has actively clamped down on giving teams easy calls after the NBA All-Star break, with tonight's game being the best example of the new officiating strictness the NBA has adopted. The Celtics have a varied offense, but their primary focus on shooting efficient threes won't lead to many foul opportunities. Even with solid inside scorers, it seems the Bucks made it through the game without making unnecessary contact.
The Bucks also committed just four fouls during the game, the lowest amount by a team in NBA history. Doc Rivers might not have set out for his team to achieve this feat, but this is an incredible team achievement.
The loss was a bad one for the Celtics, who had been blown out by the Bucks earlier in the season as well. While Boston chose to rest Kristaps Porzingis, it still doesn't explain their flat offensive showing against a struggling Bucks side who could still be their opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics Hoping To Shut Their Haters Up
The Celtics will hope to end the season with at least 65 wins, the best mark in the NBA by a considerable margin. The gap they have with the No. 2 seed Bucks in the East is the same as the gap between the No. 1 and No. 10 seed in the West, showing their level of dominance in their conference.
Despite this extreme level of regular season success, the Celtics are looked at as secondary contenders behind the Denver Nuggets. People aren't even comfortable picking Boston to come out of the East due to their previous failings against lower-seeded teams like the Miami Heat last year.
Given their high-profile losses including blowing games to the Atlanta Hawks and being kicked off national TV at halftime for being dominated by the Bucks, they have plenty of doubters to shut up. Jayson Tatum is by far the best player on the best team in the NBA but is miles off the MVP conversation.
While analysts like Gilbert Arenas claim the team hasn't been relevant in decades, this season's Celtics hope to change the narrative. They have all the pieces they need with nearly 5 All-Star caliber players in their starting lineup along with solid depth and a great coach. If they can't get it done this year, people will start naturally questioning if this ultra-talented Celtics core can even win a title after another possible failure.
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