Isaac Okoro’s heroic final minute for the Cleveland Cavaliers should have made every Auburn basketball fan proud of the 2020 #5 NBA Draft pick.
The final minute of the Cleveland Cavaliers game on Thursday night was an Auburn basketball fan’s NBA dream…although perhaps it would have been even more so if Isaac Okoro was wearing an Atlanta Hawks jersey.
Proximity to the Plains be damned, though. Okoro’s game-sealing chase-down block on Tyus Jones with 33 seconds left and his back-door cut that led to a two-handed flush put the Cavs up for good, 93-90:
Andre Drummond sets up Isaac Okoro for the @cavs game-sealing slam. pic.twitter.com/rjbpdxYQjo
— NBA (@NBA) January 8, 2021
The final score was 94-90, and Okoro was responsible for eight of those points. Kelsey Russo of the Athletic raved about his two-way production:
Really good last few possessions by #Cavs Isaac Okoro, just more examples of how he can contribute on both ends of the floor.
— Kelsey Russo (@kelseyyrusso) January 8, 2021
Overall, Okoro’s line was part of a balanced Cavaliers team stat-line:
For #Cavs: Drummond, 22pts, 9-20FG, game-hi 15reb, 3asst, 2stl; Nance Jr., 18pts, 7-7FG, 4-4 3ptFG, 4asst, 3stl; Cedi, 16pts, 6-19FG, 5reb, 3rd straight game w/7asst; McGee, 13pts, 5-7FG, 6reb, blk; Okoro, 8pts, 2reb, 2asst, 2blk.
— Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG) January 8, 2021
We frequently mention the lack of a postseason for Auburn basketball this season because it truly has taken the air out of the schedule. Early season games against the Sun Belt–their 77-41 demolition of Troy was enjoyed live from the Auburn Arena by yours truly–were fun, but games against the Florida Gators, Tennesee Volunteers, LSU Tigers, and Alabama Crimson Tide loom in SEC play…and that figures to only hammer home the FOMO the Auburn Tigers likely feel during this year’s March Madness.
Instead of FOMO, Auburn basketball fans may remember the good times that the 2019 Final Four provided in Minneapolis on nights like these during the NBA season. With Chuma Okeke on the Orlando Magic and Jared Harper on the New York Knicks, there are a few teams to keep an eye on in the association for Tigers fans.
Okoro is easily the best reason of them all, and he proved that on Tuesday night.