On a 3-game losing streak, the Golden State Warriors paid a visit to the Orlando Magic. Though favorites on paper, Steve Kerr and co have been struggling off-late, with many doubting their prospects to repeat. Nonetheless, neither reigning Finals MVP Stephen Curry nor first-pick Paolo Banchero were the talking point of the night.
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Coming off the bench for the Magic, Chuma Okeke had the world take notice of him, going a flawless 100% from the field in the first quarter. The 6ft 8″ forward had 12-points and 4-rebounds in 3-minutes, which included 3-for-3 shooting from beyond the arc.
Chuma Okeke in the first quarter:
12 PTS
4 REB
4-4 FG
3-3 3P
+10 +/-
pic.twitter.com/J8gYaX06Zg— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) November 3, 2022
.@chuma_okeke has the hot hand early pic.twitter.com/cc6BFqC23x
— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 3, 2022
Surprisingly, this is Okeke’s 3rd NBA season. While we may not have heard about him, this was the Magic forward’s moment to shine, making us inquisitive to find out more about him.
Who is Chuma Okeke?
The 16th pick in the 2019 draft, Okeke was selected by the Orlando Magic. Touted to be a lottery pick, the Atlanta native’s ACL injury in the NCAA tournament had him fall off the ranks. During his rehab, Mr. Georgia Basketball played for Lakeland in the G-league.
With a seven-foot wingspan, Okeke is a versatile player who can shoot the ball from a long distance, with defense and court vision being his other assets.
The 24-year-old played college basketball for the Tigers of Auburn University, averaging 12.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.8 SPG, and 1.2 BPG, starting in all games.
In his 3 seasons so far with the Magic, Okeke has averaged 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds on 39.0% shooting from the field.
NBA Twitter reacts to Chuma Okeke’s flawless first quarter against the Warriors.
So Chuma Okeke is lighting up the Warriors, just as we all predicted.
— C.J. Holmes ♂️ (@CjHolmes22) November 3, 2022
Chuma Okeke saw Klay Thompson’s three 3-pointers and said “bet”.
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) November 3, 2022
Chuma Okeke vs. the Warriors pic.twitter.com/DWpaubj6ZS
— Orlando Magic Daily (@OMagicDaily) November 3, 2022
Chuma Okeke off the bench thus far:
11 PTS
3-3 from downtown➡️ https://t.co/Qm8613woTv@OrlandoMagic | #MagicTogether pic.twitter.com/u3MaYZNHBB
— Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun (@BallySportsFL) November 3, 2022