By John Rammas/ irammas@eurohoops.net
The 27-year-old left-handed shooting guard’s scoring show resonated for a reason beyond sheer volume, however. That’s because Hilliard scored all those points without the benefit of a single free throw – and that is very rare.
How rare? More than 200 this century has a player scored at least 30 points in a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game. But in all those 20-plus seasons, only four players have scored that much without the help of a single free throw made.
Hilliard was the fourth and also joined an even shorter list of players who scored 30 or more without standing at the free throw line at all.
Βased on how special this is, Eurohoops presents the nine best scoring nights without free throws in the EuroLeague from 2000 to this day.
RODRIGUE BEAUBOIS
29 pts | 7/8 2PT | 5/8 3PT
In 2017, Baskonia finished seventh in the regular season before being eliminated 3-0 by CSKA in the playoffs. Current Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard Rodrigue Beaubois has something to hold onto from that season – his first of two with Baskonia – and that is his career-high scoring game in the EuroLeague. And what a career high it was!
In just 19:23 minutes of a blowout 102-70 home win over UNICS Kazan in Round 16 of the regular season, Beaubois he scored 29 points by making 7 of 8 two-pointers and 5 of 8 threes. The one foul committed by the rival defense was not enough to send him to the foul line – and obviously not enough to stop him.
DAVID BLU
29 pts | 7/7 2PT | 5/7 3PT
David Blu may have linked his name forever with Maccabi Tel Aviv, but that wasn’t the only team with whom he achieved big things. Fortitudo Bologna was another EuroLeague club of his, and while wearing that jersey for a game against RheinEnergie Cologne exactly 14 years ago this week, on November 16, 2006, Blu had one of the most special games on his resume.
Playing at home in Bologna, his count didn’t stop until 29 points based on 7-for-7 two-point and 5-for-7 three-point shooting over 25 minutes. And even though he drew 4 fouls, none put him on the free throw line. Alas, Blu could not fully enjoy his career high as Bologna lost 86-90 to the German visitors.