In a historic turn of events, the Boston Celtics etched their name in NBA history books on Tuesday night despite a 104-91 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Not a single Boston player made a trip to the free-throw line throughout the entire game, a feat never before seen in the league.
The Celtics’ star duo of Jayson Tatum (37 minutes) and Jaylen Brown (36 minutes) saw significant playing time, yet neither had an opportunity at the charity stripe. This marks the first instance in NBA history of a team playing an entire game without attempting a free throw, as reported by Statmuse.
The trio of referees for the game, Marc Davis, Bent Taylor, and Danielle Scott, called a mere 12 fouls in total, with eight on the Celtics and four on the Bucks. It was an unusually smooth night for officiating, with very little interruption for free throw attempts.
The Boston Celtics are getting ready for the postseason
The lone exception to this trend came early in the game when Giannis Antetkounmpo of the Bucks made one of two free throws late in the first quarter. However, after that, the game saw no further action at the charity stripe, setting a new NBA record for a game with the fewest combined free throw attempts.
This historic night in free throw scarcity was part of the Celtics’ strategic approach, particularly late in the regular season. With a playoff berth secured, Boston focused heavily on their outside shooting, with 52 of their 93 shots coming from beyond the arc.
Commenting on the peculiar record, Jayson Tatum mused, “Maybe just gearing up for the playoffs? They let a lot of things go. I guess [the officials] are just getting us ready for playoff basketball.”
Despite the unusual game dynamics, the Boston Celtics found themselves swiftly moving through the matchup, with the game clocking in at just under two hours, ending at 1:57. While the night may not have gone as planned for the Celtics, their unique record certainly made NBA history.
