On the final day of the 2023-24 regular season, many playoff teams are vying for seeding, others are trying to improve their draft lottery odds, and still others are simply hoping to end the season on a high note.
The Houston Rockets, who failed to charge at the end of the playoffs, belong to the latter group and are seeking their first undefeated record since the 2019-20 season.
It turned out Sunday that both Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers fans were victorious. Houston defeated the Clippers 116-105 when center Boban Marjanović missed his first free throw with 4:44 left in the fourth quarter. Marjanovic – a career 76.4 percent free throw shooter – then intentionally missed the second goal to earn a free chicken from the crowd.
The Clippers organization ran a promotion where fans in attendance would receive free chicken if their opponents missed two consecutive free throws. So the Clippers faithful, who had seen great performances from the bench throughout the game, finally had something to cheer about, leading to the climax of the game.
Boban.
A man of the people. 🍗 pic.twitter.com/PRq6xIXxIW
— NBA (@NBA) April 15, 2024
Rewarding home fans when they miss two consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter has become increasingly popular in recent years. In some games, when players at the end of the bench finally took the field, some players would miss the first free throw, much to the anger of the crowd, only to make the second one and laugh at them.
But if there’s anyone in the NBA who is intentionally absent to ensure fans go home with a reward, it’s Marjanovic, arguably the best professional basketball player on the planet.
A finalist for this season’s NBA Sportsmanship Award, the former Clippers player has performed numerous acts of kindness around the league during his career. When the second free throw rolled off the side of the rim, Boban raised a finger in the air to remind those in attendance who to thank for giving Chick-fil-A the free throw.
(Photo: Adam Pantozzi/Getty Images)
