Holy Smokes: Jahlil Okafor Had His First 20-Point Game in 320 Days
On March 14th, 2017, Stephen Curry scored 29 points in a 106–104 win against the Philadelphia 76ers. It was quite fitting for Curry, who was celebrating his 29th birthday, but another gentleman also had a good game that night — Jahlil Okafor.
Okafor started at center that night for a team no one cared about, but still poured in 22 points on 8 of 16 shooting. He’d eventually fall out of favor in Philadelphia as more talent rolled in, making this his last notable game as a member of the team.
Since that night, Curry has gone on to have a billion 20-point games. Okafor…has not. However, on Saturday night as a member of the Brooklyn Nets, Okafor finally notched another 20-point performance. In fact, he actually led the entire team in scoring. Crazy, right?
The Nets wound up losing to the Timberwolves despite Okafor’s breakout — 9 of 14 shooting — but this is the story of the game. Okafor, now wearing №4, went nose-to-nose with Karl Anthony-Towns and held his own. He showed off his post skills on KAT early in the game, facing up and splashing a mid-range jumper in his face. For the first time in a while, he looked engaged and polished at the same time.
Hopefully, this will get the big man going a little bit. His 24 minutes were the most he’s played all season, largely because he hasn’t been in game shape — something Jahlil has blamed on his former team. As of now we can only hope, if not for this season, for next, that Okafor can be a part of an up-and-coming franchise. The league is a better place without NBA Draft busts, especially ones with so much talent (offensively).