The Secret Behind The Thunder’s Free Throw Numbers

The Thunder were almost out of hope in Game 4, trailing by as much as 10 points. Then, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander intervened, scoring 15 of the Thunder’s last 16 points in the game. SGA was quiet the entire night, and then he became the MVP every Thunder fan knows. He willed Oklahoma City to a Game 4 victory and once again gave them a chance of winning the championship. Even in the victory, some fans say the game “was rigged,” and the Thunder only won because of free throws. Is this true, or are fans embellishing the number of foul calls the Thunder gets?

The Secret Behind The Thunder’s Free Throw Numbers

The Thunder had 38 free-throw attempts in Game 4, whereas the Pacers had 33. This is not a large differential, but it is enough for fans to wonder if there is some favoritism for SGA and the Thunder. Why did Oklahoma City shoot so many charity stripe shots, though? The simple answer is that they lived inside the three-point line.

The Thunder only shot 16 three-pointers compared to the Pacers’ 36. This is a large differential, and it is much harder to draw shooting fouls while shooting threes. Thanks to Shai and the Thunder’s mid-range attack and driving game, they were able to get more shooting fouls called on Indiana. Notably, the Thunder had 50 points in the paint while the Pacers had 36.

If you take away three-pointers in Game 4, the Thunder took 62 shots, and the Pacers would have taken 44 shots. Do some quick math and divide the number of two-pointers by free throws, and the Thunder would draw a shooting foul for every 1.6 shots attempted. Now, if you do the same with the Pacers, they would get a free throw attempt for every 1.3 shots attempted. So, the Pacers were rewarded more for shots inside the three-point line.