Sharife Cooper’s selection in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft was one of the biggest surprises of the night. Despite his struggles, the Atlanta Hawks rookie has certainly made an impression during Summer League.
Cooper made a game-winning buzzer beater at Cox Pavilion on Tuesday afternoon to help the Hawks upset the Pacers. After Pacers player Cassius Stanley attempted to toss the ball off of Jalen Johnson’s foot, Max Heidegger retrieved the rebound after Skylar Mays missed his own effort. Atlanta won 84-83 when Heidegger found Cooper in the corner and pulled up for a three-pointer at the buzzer.
Cooper led the Hawks in scoring with 21 points and was 5-for-8 from three-point range. Atlanta is receiving some excellent play from its two rookies, including Johnson (who scored 18 points and 10 rebounds). Cooper, who signed a two-way contract after being drafted in the second round, has undoubtedly been the greatest player on Atlanta’s roster thus far and has stepped up big when given the chance.
Chris Duare, a first-round pick, led the Pacers with 21 points on 8-of-19 shooting from the field and 5-for-10 from three. Cassius Stanley, a second-round pick from Indiana last year, scored 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting.
