In the second quarter of Tonight’s game against the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder bench guard Isaiah Joe caught fire. The underrated offseason signing just days before the season started went off for 17 points in that frame alone.
Isaiah Joe always flashed potential and tools during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers but never could earn sustained run or a rotational spot for Doc Rivers’s squad as the 76ers had their eyes on attempting to win an NBA Championship and dismissed player development as part of that.
The Oklahoma City Thunder saw Isaiah Joe pour in 17 points in the second quarter as the Thunder stunned the Boston Celtics in the Paycom Center on Tuesday night
The Oklahoma City Thunder got bad news in the early evening on Tuesday, as star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be sidelined due to a non-COVID illness leaving a massive hole to fill especially on the offensive end for the OKC Thunder against the best team in the NBA, and reigning Eastern Conference Champions.
Despite shifting to heavy underdogs after the news, the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled off a stunner on Tuesday. The Thunder not only beat the Celtics but posted a franchise-record 150 points in this contest on their way to a 150-117 victory.
OKC once led by 37 points, the largest margin all season, and that was in large part due to Isaiah Joe who exploded for 17 points in the second quarter.
While many know Joe as a sharpshooter, and he did knock down three triples in this game, it was his poster that raised eyebrows on Tuesday on his way to 21 points, four rebounds, and four assists.
ISAIAH JOE POSTER. WHAT A SHOWING FROM THE OKC THUNDER.@okcthunder | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/kixCAZFdSb
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) January 4, 2023
This and-one poster really put the exclamation point on a blowout win over the Boston Celtics and the career night from Isaiah Joe. Just two points shy of his career-high which he set earlier this year with Oklahoma City.
Isaiah Joe has found himself being a key rotational piece for the first time in his NBA career and the 23-year-old, who is young enough to fit the Oklahoma City Thunder’s timeline, is thriving in that role.