Introduction
In basketball, the three best known methods of scoring are from inside the three-point line, beyond the three-point line, and at the charity stripe. These count for one, two, and three points each. However, it’s not uncommon for people to wonder if you could score more points in a single possession than just those individual amounts.
For example, you might be wondering if there is a five-point play in basketball? The answer is that there technically isn’t a play that gets you five points, but there could be circumstances where a team gets five points in a single possession due to technical fouls.
How Could This Happen?
First things first, a player can’t score more than three points on any one shot that they attempt. It simply isn’t possible. Where that one shot can become more is if they get fouled. Let’s put together an example here to make it easier. Say that one player attempts a three-point shot and gets hit on the arm as he attempts it. The referee will whistle for a foul on the defender. If the person attempting the three-pointer makes it despite the foul, they count the basket and send him to the free throw line for an additional point. That would make it a four-point play. If, while they are shooting that free throw, get awarded a technical foul, then another one would be tacked on, making it a five-point play. A technical foul being awarded to one team depends upon the referees deeming an opponent to act as hostile or unprofessional.
These days, technicals are given out a little too much, but usually, it’s when a player or coach starts screaming at the officials and those refs don’t care to entertain that approach.
Has It Ever Happened In The NBA?
It seems awfully farfetched, but believe it or not, it’s happened a few times in the NBA’s long and established history. One example is from Chris Paul and Ty Lawson. Paul fouled Lawson while he was shooting a three-pointer. That shot went in and he was given a free throw for the infraction that was caused on him during the shot. Paul was upset with the foul called on him, so he started to argue with the referees, likely cursing or screaming at them along the way. That resulted in the officials calling a technical foul on him and giving Lawson another shot at the line. He made both free throws, hence creating the five-point play.
This also happened to the great Kobe Bryant, who was fouled by Jim Jackson as he sank a three. The same circumstances happened here, as a tech was awarded while Kobe was making the first free throw, so he got a second. It’s not common, but the five-point play has happened.
Can You Seek One Out?
Some might think that a five-point play could be “seeked out” in a sense by opposing teams. Teams that are looking for any edge that they can get when competing against a talented opponent. The answer to this is that they can’t seek these five-point plays out. If the other team doesn’t argue or challenge any calls by the officials, nor do they get involved in fights verbally or physically, then there is nothing for the refs to call a technical foul on. At most, a player can try and seek out a four-point play, but that still depends upon the player knocking down a shot while being fouled. Something that is not easy to do in the slightest.
What Happens If You Miss That Shot?
Sticking with this same scenario of a player attempting a three-pointer and getting fouled, what exactly happens when that player misses the jump shot. We’ve talked about how they could make it a four or even five-point play already, but a miss would change things. See, a miss means they don’t get awarded the three-pointers, but they would get three free throws instead. In this case, that player would need to watch the other team get not one, but two technical fouls called against them in order to stretch it to a five-point play. Which is unbelievably unlikely unless they lose their minds over something.
A technical foul at all after a shot like this is already unlikely, making even a four-point play difficult to achieve in this scenario. Although, three free throws are certainly a positive scenario for the player, who gets to take the easiest shot in the sport multiple times with no defense around them.
Why Doesn’t This Work With Two-Pointers?
You might be thinking about why we haven’t discussed the five-point play but after a player makes a two-pointer, rather than a three. The reason is because it would be very unlikely for the circumstances to create this opportunity. See, if a player attempts a two-point shot and misses but gets fouled, that player shoots two free throws. Even if he makes them both, he needs two-three additional technical fouls to get up to a four- or five-point play. If he makes that two-pointer with the foul, he gets three free throws, yet still would need two technicals. This scenario would likely never happen. It’s very hard to see that many technical fouls called at one moment in time regardless of the situation.
If you’re looking to see a four or even a five-point play happen in the NBA or in any other professional league, look for a player to knock down a three and get fouled while doing so. That was the best opportunity for it to happen in the past and continues to be the best shot nowadays. That is, of course, until the league decides to add on a four-point line for players that like to attempt deep three-point shots. Then, all a player would need is to make a four-pointer while getting fouled and create a five-point play. Though, that’s a very long way away from even being in the conversation.