April 15 (UPI) -- Serbian big man Boban Marjanovic gifted opposing fans a poultry-inspired prize during the Houston Rockets' season finale against the Los Angeles Clippers, purposely missing free throws to trigger a Chick-fil-A giveaway.
The peculiar sequence occurred with 4:44 remaining in the Rockets' 116-105 win Sunday in Los Angeles. While the missed free throws could have proved costly in the game's result, the Rockets were eliminated from playoff contention before tip-off. They finished the season 41-41.
Marjanovic was fouled to trigger his trip to the free throw line. Clippers fans roared as he stepped into the area and eyed the rim, remembering the team's promotion that which results in a free chicken sandwich if an opposing player misses two consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter.
Marjanovic, a 76% career free throw shooter, missed the first of his two attempts. He then realized that the crowd wanted him to miss the second so they could win the free sandwich. He pointed to himself and then back to the crowd, saying "I got you."
The 7-foot-4 center then hit the front of the rim with his next attempt, resulting in a roar from the crowd. He then pointed back to the fans.
Marjanovic totaled 13 points and eight rebounds in the loss. He averaged just 3.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14 appearances this season. He previously played for the Clippers his nine-year NBA tenure.
The Clippers (51-31) earned the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. They will host the No. 5 Dallas Mavericks (50-32) in Game 1 of a first-round playoff series Sunday in Los Angeles.
