The Phoenix Suns are the hottest team in the Bubble at the moment. After a string of straight victories, the Suns are the only undefeated team in Orlando. With a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Suns registered their sixth straight victory in the seeding games. But the bigger picture is that they are closing in on a 30-year-old NBA record that has steadily been in the hands of Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics team.
The Suns are now 6-0 inside the NBA Bubble, the best ever display by a team since the restart. A convincing win over OKC edged the Suns closer towards becoming surprise playoff contenders. With all this success by their side, they are also on course to achieve a longstanding free-throw record in the NBA.
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The team that has attempted the most number of free-throws this season is the LA Clippers. Doc Rivers’ team has taken 1,832 free-throws to date in the regular-season. While the Suns rank a little below the standings in this list, they are the toppers in a different aspect.
The 1989-90 Boston Celtics team made a record when they registered an 83.2% free throw percentage in the season. Many teams have finished close behind Boston, like the 2002-03 Mavs (82.9%).
However, as per StatMuse, the Suns currently have a better FT shooting percentage than the Celtics team of the late 80s. With an FT% of 83.3, the Phoenix Suns are in strong contention to overtake the Celtics’ record.
The Suns are on pace to have the greatest free-throw shooting season in NBA history.
83.3 FT% — Suns this season
83.2 FT% — Celtics in 1989-90
82.9 FT% — Mavs in 2002-03
82.8 FT% — OKC in 2012-13 pic.twitter.com/sl2OMlIE6Y— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 10, 2020
The main reason behind the Suns standing so close to breaking a 30-year-old record is Devin Booker. The 23-year-old has been simply phenomenal since the restart. Moreover, he’s had a great regular-season too. Booker is the Suns’ leading free-throw shooter, with a success rate of 91.9%.
The Phoenix Suns are witnessing a legend rise in Devin Booker
Devin Booker is certainly a legend in the making. The 2020 All-Star never fails to amaze people with his talent. Booker is having one of the best seasons in his NBA career. He scored 35.0 points in yet another dominating victory for Phoenix.
Prior to this game, Booker was averaging 29.4 points and 6.4 assists per game since the restart. Moreover, with his 30+ effort against the Thunder, Booker has just landed himself into the history books.
Devin Booker now has played 90 games for the Phoenix Suns in which he has scored more than 30 points. That is incredible!. With his latest performance, he ties NBA legend Walter Davis for most 30-point games recorded for the Suns. Even though he’ll break the record pretty soon, it must be noted that Booker matched Davis’ tally by playing 426 fewer games than the six-time All-Star.
Most 30-point games in Suns franchise history:
90 — Devin Booker
90 — Walter DavisGames played with the Suns:
340 — Devin Booker
766 — Walter Davis pic.twitter.com/MSdxbrUlP4— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 10, 2020
Source: StatMuse.com, StatMuse – Twitter, StatMuse – Twitter, NBA Stats – Twitter
