Dwight Howard broke Wilt Chamberlain’s nearly 50-year-old NBA record for most free throw attempts in a regular-season game, making 21 of 39 in the Orlando Magic’s 117-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors hacked Howard intentionally throughout, sending the notoriously poor shooter to the line early and often. Chamberlain, who Howard idolized growing up and used to have a photo clipping of the center in his Orlando locker, shot 34 for the Philadelphia Warriors against St. Louis on Feb. 22, 1962.
Howard finished with 45 points and 23 rebounds, and Hedo Turkoglu scored 20 points to propel the Magic to their third straight victory. It also marked the first time a player had at least 40 points and 20 rebounds since Shaquille O’Neal — another poor free throw shooter — had 48 points and 20 rebounds against the Celtics on March 1, 2003, according to STATS LLC.
O’Neal actually holds the playoff record for most free-throw attempts in a game, also attempting 39 on June 9, 2009 against the Pacers but making only 18.
Monta Ellis had 30 points and 11 assists, and St. Louis’ own David Lee added 26 points and 12 rebounds for the short-handed Warriors, playing without injured starters Stephen Curry and Dorell Wright and backup center Kwame Brown.
Information from Espn.com and The Associated Press contributed to this report.