Josh Okogie's Hustle, Heart Making Difference for Suns
An unlikely hero rose to the occasion in the Phoenix Suns’ 116-113 win against the Orlando Magic.
With just a few seconds left on the clock, Josh Okogie delivered in a huge way by blocking Paolo Banchero’s three point attempt, icing the game for the Suns.
“In those situations, we’re thinking foul,” Suns head coach Monty Williams said.
“We don’t want to give them a chance to get a shot off, but they swung it quickly and then once the time starts going and they’re facing the basket, you don’t want to risk it and so to be able to make a play like that in the end is huge for us. Chris (Paul) brought it up. It was like the block in Houston where he blocked the shot and got it and took off and dunked it. Like he’s one of the few guards in the league that can get up fast enough and high enough to block jump shots.
“He and Torrey (Craig), their defense, Torrey’s defense at the end of the second quarter really changed the game for us. I don’t know if we were down four or five but he just played really good defense. He had a really good possession on (Paolo) Banchero, who can score the ball. I think he blocked his jump shot on the baseline and that gave us a lot of juice and so those two guys, being able to stay in front of their man and make it tough on them and then, as you alluded to, Josh just making a huge play at the end.”
Despite the potential option to foul, Okogie stuck to his gut instinct and ultimately made the right move.
“I kind of read it and I didn’t think it was a good situation to foul him unless he was taking a dribble into a three,” Okogie said following the win. “Since he didn’t take a dribble, I just anticipated the shot. Thank God I didn’t foul him.”
Okogie put up 15 points, four rebounds and four assists to go along with his game-sealing block.
This game was no fluke. Okogie has become a key part of Phoenix’s game plan and a guy they could rely on in any situation.
“It is tough, man,” Paul said on Okogie’s block. “What Josh (Okogie) be doing is some of the stuff I’ve never seen before. That block in Houston was tough; not only did he do that, but he went and dunked on the guy. That is a gutsy block there being up three; anything can happen or what not. We trust him. He built our trust by having those types of plays in those situations.”
Okogie’s importance to the Suns goes way beyond his 7.2 points, 3.4 rebound and 1.3 assists a game. He is a fantastic two-way player and his game will translate perfectly for playoff basketball.
Okogie may not be flashy - but he is the type of guy Phoenix needs to balance out the lineup and play big minutes.
