The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 132-131 on Tuesday night in somewhat controversial fashion. The Lakers shot a whopping 23 free throws in the fourth quarter while the Raptors only shot 2, and LeBron James was asked about that discrepancy after the game.
“I felt like they fouled and we didn’t,” James bluntly said.
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That sizeable advantage in the fourth quarter meant the Lakers shot 36 free throws in this game as compared to just 13 for the Raptors. To be fair to L.A., eight of those 23 free throw attempts in the fourth came due to intentional fouls from the Raptors, so it isn’t as bad as it might seem.
Still, the Raptors only shooting two of them in the quarter and just 13 in total was what felt a bit egregious. They had a 70-50 edge in points in the paint, and when a team scores that often in the paint, you’d expect a lot more free throws than what they got.
Darko Rajakovic Was Fuming After The Game
While LeBron, who had 22 points, 5 rebounds, 12 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in the contest, did not have a lot to say about that discrepancy, Darko Rajakovic sure did. The Raptors head coach was enraged with the referees after the loss to the Lakers.
Rajakovic couldn’t comprehend how Scottie Barnes only ended up with two free throws in the game considering how often he attacks the basket. He lamented how many free throws the Lakers got and even stated that if L.A. was supposed to win that game anyhow, then his team wouldn’t have bothered to show up.
Rajakovic certainly can expect a hefty fine to come his way after saying that. He had not been very critical of the officials for much of the season but just snapped here. You can understand it when the gap was as big as it was. This loss also dropped the Raptors to 15-22 on the season and continued what has been a frustrating campaign for the team.
The Lakers Are At The Top For Free Throw Differential In 2023-24
Free throws have been a hot topic of discussion when it comes to the Lakers for a while now. The Golden State Warriors famously complained about that in the playoffs last season, and so have some other teams as well. The Lakers were at the top for free throw differential in 2022-23, and it is the same story in 2023-24 as well.
They have attempted 24.3 free throws per game this season, which ranks eighth in the NBA. Their opponents, meanwhile, have attempted 19.4 free throws per game, which is tied for the fewest with the Boston Celtics, which leaves L.A. at +4.6 per game.
Considering how long this has been going on, don’t expect things to change all of a sudden. More often than not, the Lakers are going to have an advantage from the line, although it won’t be as big as the one they had against the Raptors.
They have players like Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves, who are great at drawing fouls, and on the other end, they are able to defend without being penalized by the officials. The fact that the Lakers are just 19-19 on the season despite that, is a bit concerning.
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