Onyeka Okongwu

Circled on opposing teams’ calendars across the NBA’s landscape, the Boston Celtics, as the league’s reigning champions, have long understood the night-by-night bullseye attached to their backs. As recent matchups — and Onyeka Okongwu’s game-winning tip — confirm, though, that target arrives with extra accuracy whenever the frisky Atlanta Hawks are in play. One well-executed possession shy of exiting Beantown with a victory as 16-point underdogs, Okongwu establishes camp in the paint, prepared to potentially use his four-inch height advantage against Derrick White. Positioned perfectly to fulfill said task after his teammate’s spinning floater bounces slightly strong, the fifth-year big redirects it gently through the net, securing an NBA Cup-opening win on November 12, 2024. Summoning the energy needed to play the game’s final quarter-and-a-half with no rest, Okongwu’s efforts helped Atlanta overcome both its All-Star guard’s absence, and a 24-point disadvantage from 3-point range. Helping Atlanta conquer the intangible-based box score battle elsewhere, Okongwu, individually, tallied 15 points (on 7-of-11), six rebounds, two assists, one 3-pointer, and a game-high +15 plus-minus.