Auburn in the NBA: March Rundown

Auburn in the NBA: March RundownAuburn in the NBA: March Rundown

AUBURN, Ala. – The month of March has become synonymous with crazy endings and game-winning shots in college basketball. That carried over to the NBA and Auburn's NBA contingent in particular this past March. 

From Isaac Okoro and Jabari Smith draining game-winning 3-pointers to Walker Kessler sealing a win with a game-winning block, it was a month to remember. Kessler, Smith and JT Thor also set career highs in points scored with 31, 30 and 14 respectively. 

See how all the notable Auburn alum are doing in the latest edition of Auburn in the NBA, a monthly series highlighting those in the NBA, G-League and overseas. 

NBA

Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz
Kessler joined the starting lineup in January and hasn't looked back. March was his best month yet in terms of scoring as he averaged 13.8 points per game and scored a career-high 31 points on March 25 at Sacramento. He also pulled down 11 rebounds that night, marking one of seven double-doubles he had in March. The rookie averaged 10.0 rebounds per game for the month. Through his first 74 games, Kessler leads all rookies and ranks fourth in the NBA with 173 blocks. He matched his career high with seven blocks on March 27. 


Chuma Okeke, Orlando Magic
Okeke was eased back into action in March following arthroscopic knee surgery at the end of April. He played in a total of four games for the Magic.  

Isaac Okoro, Cleveland Cavaliers
Okoro never got his one shining moment in the NCAA Tournament, but he experienced his own March moment on March 23 when he knocked down a 3-pointer with one second remaining to lift the Cavs to a 116-114 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. The third-year player finished the game with 11 points, one of three games in March where he scored in double figures. He averaged 7.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per game for the month. More importantly, Cleveland went 9-3 in games in which Okoro played. 


Jabari Smith, Houston Rockets
It might be too little too late for Smith to win NBA Rookie of the Year, but he certainly made his case in the month of March. The rookie averaged 15.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game and matched Kessler with seven double-doubles for the month. Smith also had a flare for the dramatics as he knocked down a game-tying 3-pointer at the horn against the Indiana Pacers and then made a game-winning 3 a week later against the New Orleans Pelicans. His clutch 3-pointer against the Pacers came on a night where he scored a career-high 30 points. He scored 10 or more points in 15 of the team's 17 games in March.  


JT Thor, Charlotte Hornets
Now in his second season in the NBA, Thor is finally getting his opportunity, and he made the most of it in March with 6.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game – his best month yet as a pro. He closed the month with nine or more points in each of the last five games, including a career-high 14 point against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 28. Thor shot 46.8 percent from the field and made 16 of his 43 attempts from beyond the arc. 

G-LEAGUE

Sharife Cooper, Cleveland Charge
Cooper saw his G-League season come to an end with a loss in the conference semifinals. But the Charge star did his thing in the playoffs with 23 points and 11 assists in the first game followed by a 22-point, 7-assist effort in the loss. Cooper finished top 20 in the league in points per game (21.3) and assists per game (6.4). In March, he scored 20 or more points in seven of the team's 11 games, including a 32-point performance on March 15.