Jimmy Butler made 23 clean throws on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
The Miami Heat set an NBA record for clean throws on Tuesday, and they needed every single one of them.
In the home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Heat won 112-111, an unprecedented 40-40 victory from the charity strip. The record-breaker came in dramatic fashion as Jimmy Butler scored an-and-1 with 12.9 seconds to go, leaving his team two points behind.
After tying the game 111-111, Butler took a final free throw for the win and the record. Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a potential winner at the other end to end the game.
The previous record holder was the Utah Jazz, who made 39 clean throws on December 7, 1982. The Jazz lost to the Portland Trail Blazers that night.
The majority of the Heat’s free throws on Tuesday came from Butler, who went 23-23 off the line in a 35-point night. He also had seven rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocks while shooting 6-for-17 from the field.
The other record holders were Gabe Vincent (6-for-6), Jamal Cain (2-for-2), Max Strus (2-for-2), Victor Oladipo (2-for-2) and Dewayne Dedmon (2-for -2). for-2), who had an eventful day for reasons outrageous.