Utah Jazz: 3 takeaways from Game 4 vs. Thunder
By Mason McFee
2. The Jazz are overcoming discrepancy at free throw line
As mentioned earlier, calls are going to be missed by the referees in the game of basketball. It’s a one of the few certainties in the game of basketball. In a tightly contested series like this one, when calls are made, it’s up to the players to make the most of those opportunities. Tonight, the Jazzmen did just that.
When it was all said and done, the Jazz were outshot by the Thunder at the free throw line, 30-27. The Jazz would finish the game converting 19 of those attempts to OKC’s 25, or a 12.9 percent differential.
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At first glance, it doesn’t seem like that should be considered a victory, as the Jazz literally picked up the victory. When a closer look is taken, the stats tell a different story.
In Game 1, the Jazz converted 75 percent of their attempts from the line, going 15-for-20 — not a great number, but close to the team’s season average of 77.9 percent. OKC converted 87.0 percent of its free throw attempts (a trend I didn’t see continuing), but attempted three more free throws than the Jazz.
In Game 2, the Jazz won 102-95. The free throw numbers were a bit closer in this contest — the Jazz only converted 69.7 percent of their attempts at the line, with the Thunder closely behind at a 66.7 percent conversion rate. The difference? Utah attempted 33 free throws, while OKC attempted a measly (by comparison) 18 attempts.
In Game 3, the Jazz won 115-102. In Game 3, the Jazz attempted 27 free throws, and made 18 of them, coming out to a 66.7 percent conversion rate. The Thunder converted at a higher rate (73.7 percent), but only attempted 19 free throws in the game.
Free throws are just a part of the game, and maybe too much stock shouldn’t be put into this statistical category, but the Thunder aren’t the ones facing elimination at home coming off a blowout loss.