As Kyle Korver secured Saturday’s 104-97 win over the Rockets with four free throws in the final 26 seconds, the Hawks’ resident long-range bomber also secured a place in franchise history.
Korver’s four free throws extended his streak of freebies without a miss to 49, breaking a 36-year-old record held by Tom McMillen, who knocked down 47 consecutive during the 1978-79 season. Korver was unaware of his historic mark until it was mentioned shortly after he arrived in the locker room.
“I didn’t even know about it,” laughed Korver, who scored seven of his game-high 22 points in the final 1:29, including a 3-pointer that helped give the Hawks the cushion they needed to subdue the Rockets. “I’m just happy when I get to shoot them. I don’t shoot a lot of free throws, so the ones I do get, I have to make sure I make them.”
Korver’s last miss from the charity stripe came Nov. 7 against the Hornets, yet true to his word, the trips have come in spurts during his streak. He has had six games in which he did not attempt a free throw, while attempting less than two attempts seven times.
Rather than focus on his historic run, Korver talked about how the overall effort of the team during the Hawks’ current 12-1 sprint that has them owning the third-best record in the Eastern Conference.
“The balance we have is a big part of who we are,” he said. “We don’t have any superstars on this team. What we do have is a team that has a lot of everything. We have a lot of shooters and a lot of players who give us the balance we have.
“If we’re consistent, we can be a pretty good team.”
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