40 for 40 from free-throw line: Miami Heat break NBA record, capped by Jimmy Butler’s game-winner

The Miami Heat would’ve taken a win on Tuesday night any way they could get it. They were playing without four starters, and after Dewayne Dedmon was ejected early in the second quarter, the Heat had to play basically the entire game with just seven players. It required a historic free-throw effort, but Miami got it done with a 112-111 victory over the visiting Thunder. 

Jimmy Butler was the hero, finishing with 35 points, seven rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocks. Get this: He was 23 for 23 from the free-throw line (he shot more than the Thunder team by himself), capping his night with what proved to be the game-winning 3-point play with 12.9 seconds to play. 

Indeed, that game-winning free throw by Butler made the Heat an NBA record 40 for 40 from the charity stripe for the game. The previous record of 39, held by the Utah Jazz, had stood since 1982. As records go, this isn’t exactly the most exciting. I’d call it downright boring, in fact. It is quite impressive, nonetheless, particularly for a Miami team that came in averaging 22.4 free throws per game, the sixth-lowest mark in the league. 

With the win, the Heat improved to 20-18 as they remain in the East’s No. 8 seed. They’re just two games back of the No. 6 Pacers, which would get them out of the play-in, but they’re also just three losses clear of a lottery spot. 

A big positive for Miami: Victor Oladipo continued his solid play, logging 19 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals. He is averaging 17 points on 41 percent 3-point shooting over his last six games, and his defense has been highly disruptive. Miami lost a big piece this past offseason in P.J. Tucker, stretching the bench and hurting the defense. Oladipo could be the guy to fill those voids come postseason time.