Dwight Howard's Free Throws and the Most Bizarre NBA Records

Last night Dwight Howard set the NBA record for most free-throw attempts in a game with 39. He made 21 and missed 18, coming just short of setting the record for most missed free throws in a game. 

That got us to wondering what are some of the most bizarre record in the NBA books?

I took a look at the Play Index at basketball-reference to look up some of the strangest games by teams and individuals in recent history. 

Here are some of the weirdest games since 1985. 

Cleveland Loses Game with a Lot More Free Throws

In a game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks on April 6, 1987, the Cavaliers went to the charity stripe 59 times, made 51 of their free throws—and lost. The Hawks were only 16-of-19 form the stripe. 

The disparity of 35 made free throws is the largest by a team in a losing effort—or overcome in a winning effort, depending on your allegiances. 

Charlotte Hornets Find out There's No Such Thing as Free

Sticking with the free-throw theme, in a game between the Hornets and Raptors, Charlotte (yes, Charlotte) found out there's no such thing as free. 

Their line from the charity stripe that night was 0-of-3, becoming the only team since 1985 to go an entire game without making a single free throw. 

Boston Celtics Make Them Pay

Talk about making them pay! In a game between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat the Celtics took, and made, 35 free throws. That's the most makes in a game without any misses. 

Boston wasn't missing from the field that much either, hitting on 51-of-82 field-goal attempts. 

Portland Sets and Makes Lots of Goals

On February 1, 1986, the Portland Trail Blazers were red-hot from the field. As a team they hit the highest field-goal percentage for a team with more than 50 attempts, .697, in the Play Index records, scoring 62-of-89 field goals over the Los Angeles Clippers. 

Chicago Bulls Can't Handle the Heat

The Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls might have a rivalry brewing now but following the Michael Jordan years, there were some pretty lean times. Perhaps the leanest came against the Heat in a game on April 10, 1999. The Bulls managed to score 59 points in the entire game. 

In fact, it could have been worse were it not for a walloping 16-point fourth quarter!

Send Kendall Gill to Jail!

Kendall Gill was an absolute thief in a game on April 3, 1999. He swiped 11 balls in that game, the most in the Play Index records. Gill got the triple-double the hard way, adding 15 points and 10 boards. 

Alonzo Mourning nearly had a triple-double in the same game, going for 27 points, 10 boards and nine blocks. 

Gary Payton Is Perfect

On January 4, 1995, Gary Payton had the perfect game. Payton was 14-of-14 from the field, hit his only three-point attempt and hit on all three of his free-throw attempts. It's the most field goals without a miss in a game since 1985.