Onyeka Okongwu sends warning to NBA after three-point eruption

ATLANTA – Over the past few years, Onyeka Okongwu was not afraid to let the three fly, and the team authorized him to keep shooting. Results like tonight is what happens when you keep shooting, and Okongwu seven triples led the Hawks to a 135-101 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers.

When is it The Hawks played the Trail Blazers earlier this season, Okongwu shot 15 3-pointers but made only five. This time he took 12.

After a couple of first quarter downs, he would look at the Trail Blazers bench and point out how many threes he has right now.

“I know one of the coaches there,” Okongwu said. “I looked at him like, ‘You let me shoot all night?’ Then, after my fourth one, I told him to change the coverage.”

Interesting fact: they haven’t changed the coverage.

Okongwu essentially lived on the perimeter all night, offsetting Donovan Clingan’s presence and forcing him to step up to the three-point line to defend him.

“When I make one, two or three, they have to do something about it,” Okongwu said. “When it rains, it pours.”

“He tells everybody in the locker room that he’s the best shooter in the locker room,” Dyson Daniels said. “So if they leave him open like that, he’s got to go out and prove it. When he’s hot and knocking them down like he did, you’re going to find him, even when he’s not knocking them down. We trust (Okongwu) to make those shots; we want him to make those shots. That helps our team.”

That rain turned into a bigger storm for the Trail Blazers, as the Hawks continued to drain threes, use their lightning quickness to get points in transition and throw down some thunderous dunks throughout the game. But it all started with Okongwu setting the tone to begin with.

“They were joking before the game that I was shooting 20 threes tonight. Everyone was telling me to shoot if they were going to play me like that. And tonight they made them pay for it,” Okongwu said.

“You become more confident when your teammates have confidence in you,” Quinn Snyder said. “Guys were looking for him. We talked about not trying to attack the rim if the rim is protected. Those were the shots we saw him take and make. The last few games, he hasn’t shot as well as he’d have liked, but he’s come in and put in the extra work, and it showed tonight.”

If one person helped instill that confidence in Okongwu to shoot the ball, it’s Sneijder. Since becoming the head coach, Okongwu has shot more 3-pointers every season. After a while, Snyder drew plays for Okongwu to get open looks on the perimeter.

Now, Okongwu’s threes are coming in the flow of the offense, and teams have to make an effort to come out and guard him.

The Trail Blazers didn’t seem to want to change their game plan, so Okongwu kept shooting. He finished the game with 25 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and the Hawks walked away with their fourth straight win as they finished their game.