Head coach Justin Tatum used his post-game press conference to highlight a concerning statistic: the Illawarra Hawks have not won the free-throw count at home since November 5, when they faced Melbourne United.
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Following the Hawks’ 101-96 loss to the New Zealand Breakers – a game in which Illawarra attempted just 14 free throws compared to the Breakers’ 28 – Tatum revealed just how long it has been since his side last enjoyed a positive free-throw differential at home.
“One fun fact is that the last time we had more free throws at our place this year – you know when? November 5,” he said.
“That was the last time we led in the free-throw game.
“Know how many home games we’ve had since then? Ten. Ten. And I’ve got double-bigs and guys attacking the basket.”
Tatum acknowledged his frustration at the ongoing disparity.
“So, you know, it’s unfortunate that we can’t seem to find a way to get even similar calls and things like that.”
Despite the free-throw imbalance, the Hawks coach praised his group for continuing to compete, while also admitting his team had a major role in the defeat after committing 19 turnovers.
“I felt proud of my guys for fighting through a lot of the adversity they had to go through,” Tatum said.
“But it’s not an excuse for why we lost – clearly it was the turnovers and the inconsistency of some of our play.
“But it’s tough to go back and watch when the last time you led the free-throw count at home was November 5.”
“I don’t think any team in the league can say that besides us.”
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WHAT DO THE NUMBERS SAY?
After breaking down the numbers, the data supports Tatum’s claim. Below is the number of times each team has had more free-throw attempts than their opponents at home since November 5, along with the overall attempt differential:
Illawarra: 0 | FTA Difference: -64
New Zealand: 1 | FTA Difference: -30
Brisbane: 2 | FTA Difference: -20
South East Melbourne: 2 | FTA Difference: -18
Cairns: 3 | FTA Difference: -9
Tasmania: 5 | FTA Difference: 9
Adelaide: 3 | FTA Difference: 15
Melbourne: 3 | FTA Difference: 24
Sydney: 5 | FTA Difference: 26
Perth: 5 | FTA Difference: 61
The statistics show that Illawarra are the only team in the league since November 5 not to have won the free-throw attempt count at home, sitting 64 attempts behind their visiting opponents – a figure that backs up Tatum’s comments.
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