How the Lakers' free throw advantage could boost L.A.'s playoff hopes

Yahoo Sports contributor Tom Haberstroh breaks down his latest ‘Big Number’ - explaining how LeBron James and company’s staggering edge at the charity stripe has helped them all season long, and could help Los Angeles in the first round of the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets.

Video transcript

TOM HABERSTROH: I'm Tom Haberstroh, and you're watching "The Big Number.

Today's big number is +507. That's the Los Angeles Lakers' free throw differential this season, which is by far the largest in the NBA. LeBron and company have taken 1,983 free throws this season, which is 507 more than their opponent. No other team has a free throw differential above +250.

You're reading that right. The Lakers' surplus of free throws is twice as large as the next highest team, the Boston Celtics. Here's what that looks like in a pretty chart. You think that's crazy. That lead actually grows when we add last season to the mix.

And of course, the story was much the same in the play and win over the New Orleans Pelicans. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers typically get outrebounded, outshot from downtown, and out-turnovered. [BLEEP], seriously, why don't we have a word for that?

But as long as the Lakers continue to get more whistles than their opponent, they'll be in good shape, as we can see from that league-leading +507.

I'm Tom Haberstroh, and that's "The Big Number."

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