Question

The two top NBA players played a basketball game against the RSM team. Together the NBA players made 85 baskets, scoring one point for free throws and two or three points for field goals. They scored a total of 184 points during the game. If they made 22 free throws, how many three-point field goals did they make

Answer 1

They made 36 three-point field goals during the game

Explanation:

Answer 2

They made 36 three-point field goals

Explanation:

For free throws , we have one point each.

So here, the total points they made from free throws is 22 * 1 = 22 points

So the number of points made from field goals would be 184-22 = 162 points

So the issue we have now is knowing the number of 3-point field goals that was made.

How can we get this?

Remember they made 85 baskets? so if we subtract the number of free throws, then we can have the number of field throws and that is 85-22 = 63

Now, let the number of 2 points throws be x and the number of 3 points throws be y

From our earlier analysis;

x + y = 63 ••••••••• (i)

Now the total number of three pointers would be 3 * y = 3y and the total number of two pointers would be 2 * x = 2x

Adding both gives a total of 162

Thus;

2x + 3y = 162 •••••••• (ii)

So we have two equations to solve simultaneously.

From equation 1, we can say that;

x = 63-y

Let’s substitute this into equation 2

2(63-y) + 3y = 162

126 -2y + 3y = 162

126+y = 162

y = 162-126

y = 36

This means that they made 36 three-point field goals