LAS VEGAS — An unusual thing happened Tuesday afternoon toward the end of the Utah Jazz’s summer league game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Former Utah State player Spencer Butterfield, called a basketball shooting “sniper” by Jazz assistant Mike Wells, helped his team force a sudden-death overtime by making two free throws and then, oddly enough, by perfectly missing a third one.
The Summer Jazz ended up losing to the Blazers 92-89, falling to 1-2 in NBA Summer League action at UNLV.
But Butterfield’s savvy and well-executed missed free throw gave his team a chance it wouldn’t have had otherwise.