‘Not a failure’: Onyeka Okongwu stresses growth despite playoff exit
Despite an impressive personal performance with 28 points and a grueling 50 minutes on the court, Onyeka Okongwu and the Atlanta Hawks fell short of securing a playoff berth, losing 123-114 to the Miami Heat in their final NBA Play-In game.
The Hawks had earlier suffered a 120-95 defeat to the Orlando Magic in their opening play-in clash, making a win against the Heat essential to clinch the eighth seed and advance to the postseason.
Although Atlanta started slow, they roared back in the second half to force overtime. However, they couldn’t maintain the momentum in the final five minutes, being outscored 17-8, ultimately missing out on a playoff spot.
Three Hawks players notched double-doubles in the game. Trae Young led the team with 29 points and a game-high 11 assists. Onyeka Okongwu contributed 28 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, three steals, and one block, while Dyson Daniels added 11 points and 10 rebounds. George Niang and Caris LeVert chipped in with 20 and 15 points, respectively.
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For the Heat, Tyler Herro led the charge with 30 points, securing Miami’s place as the eighth seed. Andrew Wiggins followed with 20 points, Bam Adebayo added 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Davion Mitchell dropped 16 points. Haywood Highsmith and Kel’el Ware also contributed 12 points each.
Reflecting on the loss, Okongwu acknowledged the team’s effort but admitted it wasn’t enough.
“We competed well. We were down the entire game, battled back in the fourth. We showed grit, toughness, but it just didn’t go our way,” he said after the game.
Despite missing the playoffs, Okongwu remains optimistic about the team’s progress and refuses to label the season a failure.
“I feel like you’ve seen a lot of growth from guys like Zaccharie Risacher this whole year—me, Dyson (Daniels), even Mo (Mouhamed Gueye). I know we’re not in the playoffs, but you see the guys blossom into the players they are now. You just have to be proud of them. I wouldn’t call it a failure, because I got to see the growth of the young players.”
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