The Phoenix Suns (34-24) emerged victorious with a 123-113 win over the Los Angeles Lakers (31-28) on Sunday. However, one glaring statistic stood out – the Lakers were awarded just eight free throws compared to the Suns’ 19 attempts from the charity stripe.
Following the game, LeBron James, who led all scorers with 28 points, shared his thoughts on the notable free-throw gap between the two teams.
Addressing the disparity, James expressed his frustration with the narrative surrounding the Lakers’ ability to draw fouls. He emphasized the team’s aggressive attacking style.
“A lot of people, a lot of coaches, a lot of teams just like, ‘That’s all the Lakers do, just get to the free-throw line.’ It’s like this narrative out there that that’s all we do is get to the free-throw line,” he said.
Refuting the notion that the Lakers solely rely on free throws, James highlighted their versatility on offense, acknowledging their proficiency in driving to the paint as a core strength.
“We have attackers that’s what we do,” he continued. “Yeah, we shoot the ball from the perimeter, but we’re not shooting 40-50 threes a game. We’re not that team. We don’t have the luxury of being that team. So we’re getting to the paint that’s what we’re really good at so to have eight free throw attempts is definitely not us.”
Despite his standout performance, James lamented the lack of calls on several occasions when driving to the basket, underscoring the physicality of the game and its impact on the Lakers’ scoring opportunities.
“I know definitely I got hit a couple of times going to the paint tonight that wasn’t called. But it is what it is,” James said.
