Nigerian rookies impress in NBA pre-season games

Cleveland Cavaliers rookie, Isaac Okoro, recorded 18 points in his first game for the club to help them to a 107-104 win over the Indiana Pacers in their first pre-season game.

Okoro, who was a first-round fifth overall pick by the Cavaliers, lived up to the billing having been thrown into the deep by coach John-Blair Bickerstaff.

The small forward scored 18 points, one rebound, three steals and one assist, marking 33 minutes in the game, the highest by any Cavaliers player.

Okoro, who scored the game-winner, has promised to continue improving.

“Coming into the game I had a lot of jitters but my teammates gave me the confidence to just shoot the ball when I’m open. I felt I did okay and I also felt I could have done better; I had a couple of steals, a couple of blocks. I’m going to go back and watch the films and see the mistakes I made and try to improve for the next game.”

Denver Nuggets’ Zeke Nnaji also made his NBA debut in the pre-season 107-105 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.

Nnaji had a good performance scoring seven points over 10 minutes off the bench. The player of Nigerian descent, who was drafted with the No.22 pick by the Nuggets, scored twice from three two-point attempts and also scored a three-pointer. He had a block in the game.

Jordan Nwora scored a trademark three-pointer in his first game for the Milwaukee Bucks as they lost 112-102 to the Dallas Mavericks in their pre-season match-up.

Nwora, a second-round 45th overall selection by the Bucks, was on the court for only eight minutes but contributed two blocks and one assist in the game.