Published 12:55 IST, August 11th 2021
Sharife Cooper leads Atlanta Hawks to 1st NBA win vs Indiana Pacers at LV; scores 21 PTS
Sharife Cooper sealed the win for Atlanta Hawks against Indiana Pacers after scoring a three-pointer just before the buzzer in the NBA Summer League.
Sharife Cooper hands Atlanta Hawks, their first win at Las Vegas. The 20-year old American scored 21 points and 9 assists in the game which concluded with a three-pointer at the final minute of the match. The three-pointer by Cooper took the score-card to 84-83. Cooper scored five three-pointers out of the 8 baskets scored by him. He stands at a height of 6 foot 1 inch and was drafted by the Hawks following his freshman season at Auburn.
Among other top scorers for the Hawks, Jalen Johnson scored 18 points and 10 rebounds. Whereas, Skylar Mays who joined the team last year, scored 16 points in the match. The game-winning shot from Cooper saw the lead of the match change for the eighth time in four quarters. Meanwhile, Indiana Pacers’ Chris Duarte, led the points table for Indiana scoring 21 points and seven rebounds. Cassius Stanley finished the game with 14 years. Oshae Brissett and Isaiah Jackson added 13 points each.
Sharife Cooper- One of the best rookies of NBA 2021.
Sharife Cooper is an American professional basketball player, who plays for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association(NBA). He played college basketball for the Auburn Tigers, scoring 26 points, nine assists, and four rebounds in his debut match against Alabama. He posted the highest score of the season, 28 points, 12 assists, and five rebounds in the 95-77 win over Georgia. The freshman made 12 appearances for Auburn, scoring at an average of 20.2 points, 8.1 assists, and 4.3 rebounds. He was selected in the second round of the NBA draft 2021 in July and became the 48th pick by Atlanta. In his debut match for the Hawks, he scored 11 points and 6 assists but the team went on to lose the match 85-83 against the Boston Celtics. He is one of two NCAA Division I freshmen in the last 30 years, joining Trae Young, to score at an average of 20 points and 8 assists per game. The Hawks, earlier signed Senegal native, Gorgui Dieng who played for Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs in the last season.
(Image Source: @ATLHawks- Twitter)
Updated 12:55 IST, August 11th 2021