The was a sharp discrepancy in free throws attempted during Game 1 of the NBA Finals. And it’s safe to say that Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo noticed.
After the Denver Nuggets defeated the Heat 104-93 in Game 1, Adebayo was spoke about the sharp difference in foul shots. Adebayo made it clear that he was upset, noting that any comments he made would likely result in his bank account being a little less plentiful.
John Hollinger of The Athletic tweeted that Adebayo said to the Ringer’s Joe Vardon, “If I do say something will you take the fine.”
Bam Adebayo to our @joevardon on the 2 FTAs: "If I do say something will you take the fine"
— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) June 2, 2023
It’s easy to see why Adebayo was mad. Not only did the Nuggets attempt 18 more free throws than the Heat in Game 1, but Miami’s two free throw attempts were the fewest any team has attempted in NBA Finals history.
The problem was, this didn’t feel like a game where the Nuggets really got away with a lot defensively. In fact one of the more notable no-calls in the game came when Denver’s Michael Porter Jr. was knocked down by Adebayo, leading to a 5-on-4 and an easy bucket for the Heat.
Denver's Michael Porter Jr. takes an inadvertent shot to the face from Miami's Bam Adebayo. pic.twitter.com/Lnkio9CmFx
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) June 2, 2023
Certainly, if we broke down the game play-by-play, we could find some calls that the Heat didn’t get. But the bigger issue was Miami’s aggression — or lack thereof.
