On Sunday night, Kevin Durant reminded the world why his “Easy Money Sniper” nickname is so fitting. The Phoenix Suns forward scored 40 points without a single free throw against the Indiana Pacers, hitting 18 of 25 field goals, including four 3-pointers.
Durant scored 40 points without even attempting a shot from the charity stripe, reaching a stat line not even recorded by the likes of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kobe Bryant. .
While Curry did come close when he scored 39 points against the Charlotte Hornets in February 2017, the Warriors star has never cracked the 40-point mark without taking free throws.
According to StatMuse statistics, Jamal Murray scored 50 points in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in February 2021 and is still the highest scorer among players without free throws, followed by Hakeem Olajuwon (48 ), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (48) and Klay Thompson (48). 44). Thompson is the only player in NBA history to play three such games.
The 35-year-old Durant also became the oldest player in NBA history to score 40 points without taking free throws, surpassing Olajuwon’s previous record.