Okoro scores winning basket in his first pro game

[aubiefifty 18,231]

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Isaac Okoro scores winning basket in his first pro game

By Mark Inabinett | minabinett@al.com

4-5 minutes

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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Isaac Okoro eyes the basket during an NBA preseason game against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2020, in Cleveland.AP Photo/Tony Dejak

Isaac Okoro opened his professional basketball career by scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 107-104 victory over the Indiana Pacers in an NBA preseason game, including a layup and free throw with 0.3 seconds left that provided the winning margin on Saturday night.

“It’s crazy,” Okoro said. “Like my first game, I get the game ball. The best part about it was just the way my teammates celebrated with me. That’s the best part of it all, honestly.”

Okoro joined Cleveland from Auburn as the fifth pick of the 2020 NBA Draft.

“When we watched him play in college, he impacted winning,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “And it always came in a bunch of different ways. It wasn’t always the shot. The thing with Isaac is you can see it in his eyes. There’s no fear of a competitor and there’s no fear of a moment, so in his mind, he’s going out to get a job done. He has a reputation for finishing and closing games. His nickname is Ice.”

In his first NBA action, Okoro had 18 points, one rebound, one assist and three steals. In 32:38, he made 6-of-9 shots, including 2-of-4 on 3-pointers, and sank all four of his free throws.

Okoro took two shots in the first half and was 1-of-4 from the field entering the fourth quarter, when he made all five of his shots, including two 3-pointers.

“I think he caught a rhythm,” Bickerstaff said. “He was more aggressive in taking what the defense was giving him. He had opportunities to take shots early on that I thought he turned down, but he started to let them fly, and I thought that helped him catch his rhythm and then he was able to do all the other things that he can do. Because of his ability to attack the rim and his high level of finishing, if people have to press up on him, he’s going to be a nightmare to guard.”

CHUMA OKEKE ‘FELT JUST LIKE OLD TIMES’ IN HIS FIRST NBA ACTION

Okoro’s outburst came after Bickerstaff talked to him about passing up shots.

“I wanted him to shoot the ball every time he was open,” Bickerstaff said.

Okoro said he got the message after he passed on a 3 and ended up traveling.

“Not only was J.B. telling me, but basically the whole team, the veterans were all telling me, ‘Just shoot the basketball,’” Okoro said. “Me not taking the shot was the worst situation, so having the confidence to just take the shot, because going through all the training camp I was hitting those type of shots, so why not take it now? It just gave me the confidence to just come out in the second half and just take my shot and play my game.”

Okoro came through on both ends of the court for Cleveland in the final seconds. He was guarding Indiana’s T.J. McConnell when he missed with the score tied 104-104. Okoro then got down the floor ahead of the defense to lay in a pass from Damyean Dotson for the game-winning bucket.

“I thought they were going to take the last shot,” Okoro said, “so I seen the clock going down and my mindset was to just get a stop. Play great defense and get a stop because in those last couple of minutes we were just going back and forth, so I was trying to tell the team, ‘Let’s just get a stop. If we get a stop and they don’t score, we’re going to win this game.’”

The Pacers and Cavaliers will play again in Cleveland on Monday. After a four-game preseason, the Cavaliers are scheduled to tip off the regular season on Dec. 23 with a home game against the Charlotte Hornets.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

[gravejd 3,304]

Okoro = winner. Going to be fun following his NBA career.