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Raptors missed 18 of their 36 free throw attempts, most since 1997

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated13 Apr 2023

Raptors missed 18 of their 36 free throw attempts against Bulls, most since 1997

The Toronto Raptors missed 18 of their 36 free throw attempts in Wednesday night’s 109-105 play-in tournament loss to the Chicago Bulls, the most missed foul shots in a winner-take-all playoff or play-in game since the Los Angeles Lakers bricked 19 in Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals.

Had Toronto made at least four more baskets at the foul line, this could have been the second play-in game this season to go into overtime. On Tuesday, the Lakers won 108-102 in OT against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Per multiple NBA betting sites, the Raptors had 17th-ranked odds to win the championship prior to last night’s loss. Sportsbooks are showing the best odds for the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Phoenix Suns.

Chicago outscored the Raptors 37-24 in the final frame. Pascal Siakam led Toronto in scoring with 32 points in 42 minutes of action. Along with logging nine rebounds, six assists, and one steal, the center shot 13-of-22 (37.1%) from the field and drained a 3-pointer. Plus, he finished 5-of-11 (31.3%) shooting at the line.

While trailing 107-104 at the free throw line, Pascal Siakam had an opportunity to tie the score with 12 seconds remaining. However, the center missed two of his three shots. “We’re going to have to be better,” Siakam said. “Not consistent enough and that’s got to change.”

Raptors missed 18 of their 36 free throw attempts, the most by a team in a playoff or play-in contest since Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals

Toronto led 58-47 at halftime. Chicago trailed 81-72 at the start of the fourth quarter. “I thought we played well enough to win tonight but it just didn’t go our way,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. It was a comedy of errors for Toronto from beginning to end.

Although the Raptors shot 11-of-31 (35.5%) outside the arc and outrebounded the Bulls 50-36, they finished only 50% at the foul line and blew a 19-point lead. Even the Lakers shot 59.6% at the line during Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.

Fred VanVleet ended his outing with 26 points, 12 boards, eight assists, one steal, and one block. Scottie Barnes also added 19 points, 10 rebounds, and two pairs of dimes and steals. More importantly, the Raptors entered Wednesday night’s matchup as a six-point favorite.

Not to mention, it was the Raptors’ most missed free throws since 1997. Now, the Bulls square off against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center this Friday at 7 p.m. ET. Miami opened as a 5.5-point favorite. Per ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, the Heat have a 52.6% chance of winning.

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