On Thursday night, the OKC Thunder came away victorious in an absolute thriller in Bricktown against the Boston Celtics, pulling away with win number 52, 104-102.
Of course, though it took a full team effort, superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stole the show by breaking Wilt Chamberlain's all-time record for consecutive 20-point games.
Sadly, during the magical night, the Celtics felt the need to detract from the moment by pushing, yet again, a tired-out narrative.
Despite Shai's accomplishment, Jaylen Brown and company chose to talk about, you guessed it, free throws.
Throughout the game, the Celtics star was seen acting demonstratively every time SGA drew a foul. He even went so far as to yell out, "That's not basketball!" after one particular foul call.
After the game, he continued to voice his frustrations, talking about how he just doesn't foul bait.
Ironically, Brown attempted 14 free throws, just three shy of the 17 total the entire Thunder team shot combined.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla didn't help matters when he passive-aggressively said about Shai, "He only shot eight free throws, so that's a part of that."
The two were obviously insinuating that Gilgeous-Alexander has a knack for drawing undeserved fouls and that it is one of the biggest parts of his game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander slander has been taken to an entirely new level
The Celtics comments highlight a concerning trend throughout the NBA. These jabs at the Thunder stud come on the heels of not one, but two head coaches calling out his foul-baiting tendencies over the past week and a half.
New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown made his own passive-aggressive comments last Wednesday, stating that SGA is great at "convincing referees he is getting hit."
On Saturday, Warriors coach Steve Kerr, in true Steve Kerr fashion, slighted the reigning MVP in a more "professional" manner. He disguised it as a compliment, saying how Shai is good at drawing contact "within the rules."
He then said the problem he has is not with the point guard, it's with the rules.
The NBA is letting Thunder star bare the brunt of a larger complaint
The SGA slander that has been running rampant throughout the league is not limited to just this month. Wolves coach Chris Finch has thrown direct attacks the Thunder's way and got ejected for it earlier in the season.
In summary, the cat is out of the bag with this foul-baiting narrative. Unfortunately, it represents a larger problem that is not contained to just Oklahoma City.
Shai doesn't even lead the league in free throws attempted per game. That honor belongs to Lakers point guard Luka Doncic, who is averaging 10.2 per game.
Bam Adebayo just broke Kobe Bryant's record for the second-most points in a game in NBA history. He did so on 43 free throw attempts.
The reality is that the average number of free throw attempts per game is at a 12-year high this season. From the eye test, many fouls look soft and unnecessary. Players have been taking advantage of these generous whistles, and even though the league has adopted a more perimeter-shooting playstyle, they are being rewarded with more trips to the line.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has shouldered the "free-throw merchant" title for too long, and the league is content with sitting idly by while letting him take the heat.
Regardless of how physical the officials let the game get, the NBA execs and media can't keep letting the Thunder superstar take the blame for something that is clearly more than an individual problem.