His improvement as a scorer has been well-documented. Ricky Rubio is shooting more, shooting better. But perhaps lost in that improvement is his free-throw shooting. Always strong from the line, Rubio took it to a new level in March.
He ranks 10th in the NBA in free-throw percentage (88.6), but in 14 games in March he made 65 of 70 free throws (92.9 percent). He had a streak of 43 consecutive makes end in Thursday's victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, and he has made 48 consecutive technical free throws.
"I've been around players like that," Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. "Ray Allen [a career 89.4 percent free throw shooter] was like that. Karl-[Anthony Towns], for a big, is terrific. The other night, what we saw in Indiana, late in the game, with the game on the line, to have the ability make three? That's not an easy thing to do."
Rubio was 11-for-11 at the line Tuesday, including three with three seconds left to give the Wolves a 115-114 victory over the Pacers. He went 9-for-10 on free throws in Saturday's 123-117 loss to Sacramento.
"You practice, you work hard at it," Rubio said. "And then you just let your mind be free, and just remember what you have done in practice. Focus. Sometimes you miss free throws because you're tired and you don't focus enough in the technique."
Rubio's more aggressive play has resulted in more trips to the line; in March he averaged 5.0 attempts, well above his career average of 3.9.
And he's making more than ever, including some very clutch attempts, like the ones in Indiana. "When that happened, you don't think that you have to hit three free throws," he said. "You have to think one by one."
Different directions
At first glance, Saturday night's game at Target Center looks like a matchup of two teams in a similar place. Both the Wolves and Kings were out of the playoff picture; they entered 12th and 13th, respectively, in the Western Conference.
