Rokas Jokubaitis Powers Barcelona to European Cup Title
Jokubaitis scored nine points in the final ten minutes, as Barca beat Madrid to capture the Copa Del Rey.
As we know, the Knicks performance this season has been exceedingly disappointing and has given fans little reason to be overly optimistic about the future. However, the two young point guards they selected in the 2021 NBA draft have greatly exceeded expectations.
As I have noted previously, Miles "Deuce" McBride has been dominant in the G League. Last week, he scored a game-high 23 points (on 8-of-16 shooting) and dished out a game-high nine assists, to go along with four rebounds, three triples and two steals in a win over the Raptors 905. On the season, he is averaging 28.0 points, 9.5 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 steals, while shooting 48% from the floor, 47% from behind the arc and 86% from the charity stripe.
Meanwhile, over in Spain, Rokas Jokubaitis, whom New York nabbed with the 34th overall pick in last July's draft, continues to play well for FC Barcelona.
On Sunday, Barcelona took on their chief rival, Real Madrid, in the final of the Copa Del Rey. The matchup was a slugfest (reminiscent of a Knicks-Pacers playoff game from the 1990s), but Barca prevailed, topping Real Madrid by a final score of 64-59. And, surprisingly, it was rookie point guard Rokas Jokubaitis who powered Barcelona to victory down the stretch.
Jokubaitis scored nine of his 12 points in the final ten minutes, as Barca outscored Madrid by ten points in the final frame. Rokas attempted only five shots from the floor in the entire game, but finished with 12 points, three assists (vs. just one turnover), and two made three-pointers.
He scored on several crafty drives to the bucket and knocked down a pair of big triples.
EuroCup matches are pressure-packed, so the fact that the 21-year-old Jokubaitis was able to step in and step up on that stage is incredibly encouraging.
His overall numbers in EuroLeague play on the season (7.9 points and 3.1 assists per game) aren't overly impressive, but it's important to note that he's logging just 18 minutes a night. It's also critical to mention he's been extremely efficient, shooting a scorching 57.7% from the field and 57.1% (!!) from downtown (16-of-28). During the three-game Copa Del Rey tournament, Jokubaitis converted 64% of his FG attempts.
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