The Oklahoma City Thunder and it’s players are walking on clouds right now.
They’re fresh off putting up a franchise-best 150 points, and they did it against the Boston Celtics, which have one of the strongest defenses in the league.
Also, they did it without All-Star candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was ruled out with an illness.
Five OKC players scored 20+ points, something that hadn’t happened in the league since 2019.
And perhaps, one of the most impressive performances of the night came from sharpshooter Isaiah Joe, who scored 21 points off the bench on 8/13 shooting and 3/7 from beyond the arc:
“He’s kind of walked in with his chest out,” coach Mike Daigneault said. “I give him a lot of credit. Every time we went to him early, he dove headfirst into the game, and he continues to bring that kind of juice when we put him out there. It’s not only the shotmaking. He really competes on the glass, on defense. He knows what’s going on.”
Needless to say, Joe’s career night didn’t go unnoticed around the league, with multiple people joking that the Philadelphia 76ers — his former team — could actually use someone with his sharpshooting skills.
Sixers need someone like Isaiah Joe
— Ben Detrick (@bdetrick) January 4, 2023
I see Isaiah Joe is going off tonight against #Celtics — 17 points (6/9 FG, 3/5 3pt range)… the #Sixers could use a shooter like him.
— Jovan Alford (@Jovan10) January 4, 2023
The Philadelphia 76ers could most definitely use another floor-spacer, as Georges Niang and James Harden are just a handful of the reliable three-point shooters on their roster.
Joe couldn’t find much playing time in the City of Brotherly Love, but he’s taking his career back from the ground in OKC, providing a much-needed offensive punch off the bench.
NEXT: Is The Thunder Win Against The Celtics The Surprise Game Of The Year?