Jordan Sets Playoff Record with 28 Free-Throw Attempts in 1 Half

Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan set an NBA playoff record with his 28 free-throw attempts in the first half of Sunday's 128-95 Game 4 win over the Houston Rockets, according to Sportsnet Stats.

Houston started intentionally fouling the 26-year-old center with eight minutes and 19 seconds remaining in the first quarter and continued using the strategy throughout much of the first half.

While Jordan made just 10 of his 28 free-throw attempts before the break, the Clippers still managed to carry a 60-54 lead into the half, thanks to solid work on defense and an otherwise efficient offense. Los Angeles then broke the game wide open in the third quarter, outscoring the Rockets 43-25 to take a commanding 103-79 lead into the final frame.

Jordan didn't even play during the fourth quarter, and he finished the game with 14 successful free throws on 34 attempts, contributing to a stat line of 26 points, 17 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block over 30 minutes.

While his 28 free-throw attempts in a single half broke the playoff record of 27, set by Shaquille O'Neal in the 2000 NBA Finals, Jordan fell well short of O'Neal's single-game playoff record of 39, which was, unsurprisingly, set in the same game, per Basketball-Reference.com's play index.

O'Neal led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 111-104 victory over the Indiana Pacers in that contest, making 18 of his 39 free-throw attempts on his way to 40 points, 24 rebounds, four assists and three blocks over 46 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, Indiana used the Hack-a-Shaq strategy in that game, though O'Neal also earned quite a few of his free throws by dominating in the paint.