BOX SCORE | PHOTOS

SALT LAKE CITY –– The last organized five-on-five contest that Jahlil Okafor played in was the NCAA’s National Championship game. But while the stakes in Monday’s Summer League opener in Utah, which ended 74-71 in favor of San Antonio, were decidedly lower, it was a game watched by Sixers fans with heightened attentiveness.

For Okafor, it took a bit for him to shake off the three months of rust he’d built up. Despite Summer Sixers head coach Billy Lange posting up the 6’11” big man early often and Okafor creating decent looks from himself around the basket, he struggled to find his touch and converted just three of his 11 attempts in the first half. Coming out of the break, though, Okafor showed off his dazzling arsenal of post moves on the offensive end.

Face-ups, baseline spin moves, drop steps… He opened the third quarter making each of his first four shot attempts, using his 270-pound frame and deft post moves to abuse an inexperienced San Antonio front line. Okafor went 7-for-11 from the field in the second half en route to a game-high 20 points on 10-of-22 shooting on the night. His nine rebounds fell two shy of a game high, and five of his boards came on the offensive end.

“With every possession, he is just going to grow and grow,” said Lange. “He was probably pressing himself a little bit. Once he settled into the third quarter and we [were] drawing plays up for him and getting him the ball in sports he probably hasn’t seen in a long time, I thought he did really, really well.”

After his breakout debut, Okafor was asked to grade his performance. He turned to the reporter who’d asked the question and casually replied, “Probably a C-.”

To anyone who knows the 19-year-old, his humility probably doesn’t come as a surprise. Okafor’s dealt with sky-high expectations since middle school, when he was already receiving attention from collegiate programs, but even those pale in comparison to the expectations he sets for himself.

“He wants to win, he wants to please, and he’s a great kid,” said Lange. “If you watch the commercials, he’s been thinking about being in the NBA since he’s had diapers. I don’t think it’s overwhelming for him. I think the balance of wanting to please and be a great teammate first, that’s what he is about with handling those expectations and trying to perform at the same time."

Other Key Contributors

Jahlil Okafor was the story of the evening for the Sixers, but several other players had strong contributions for the team. Returning big man Furkan Aldemir didn’t score a single point on his three attempts in 29 minutes Monday night, but he finished the game with a game-high 11 rebounds to go along with two blocks.

Despite going just 4-of-13 from the floor, sophomore forward Jerami Grant was able to get to the line 10 times en route to 13 points and six boards in 29 minutes. Richaun Holmes, selected by the Sixers with the 37th-overall pick in last month’s draft, only logged 16 minutes but finished with nine points (3/6 FG), two steals, and a blocked shot.

Next Up

The Summer Sixers have a quick turnaround, as they take on the Boston Celtics Tuesday at 7pm (EST). You can catch the action on NBA TV and NBA.com.

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