Getty Miami Heat rookie Precious Achiuwa has been a defensive presence for Team Nigeria in pre-Olympic exhibition play this summer.
Miami Heat center Precious Achiuwa couldn’t find his way into Erik Spoelstra’s rotation during the regular season, but the rookie has been finding a way to make headlines this summer. The 20th overall pick put on a dominating defensive display for Team Nigeria in exhibition play on Saturday night.
Achiuwa scored three points and grabbed seven rebounds in 16 minutes, but his vicious rejection on Kevin Durant of Team USA helped turn the tide. Nigeria earned a shocking 90-87 win over the Americans in a pre-Olympic tune-up, with the Nigerians overcoming a 10-point deficit. Team USA had been 54-2 in exhibition play coming into the game.
Achiuwa’s highlight-reel block on Durant came with 1:23 left in the second quarter, with Nigeria trailing by four points. The 21-year-old climbed the ladder and literally knocked the Brooklyn Nets star to the ground on the way down. After the game, Achiuwa took to Instagram to rub it in: “You’re not that guy pal, trust me your not that guy.”
Heat guard Gabe Vincent paced Nigeria with a game-high 21 points while KZ Okpala was held scoreless in 20 minutes. Meanwhile, Bam Adebayo had 11 points and five rebounds for Team USA. Durant led the Americans with 17 points.
“In a way I’m kind of glad it happened,” Team USA coach Gregg Popovich said, via ESPN. “It means nothing if we don’t learn from it. It could be the most important thing in this tournament for us. To learn lessons from this.”
Gabe Nnamdi Vincent and Precious Achiuwa had some huge, huge moments tonight for Nigeria.
I believe the word you’re looking for starts with a “c” and ends with an “ulture.”
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Twitter Reacts to ‘Block of the Century’
Twitter was abuzz with reaction to what one Nigerian fan called the “Block of the Century” on Saturday night. The Durant block quickly went viral on social media.
Precious Achiuwa is a better basketball player than Kevin Durant. I have proof. Next on Undisputed.
Precious Achiuwa took a jab at Kevin Durant in his Instagram caption of him blocking Durant last night:
‘You’re not that guy, pal, trust me, you’re not that guy.’
Achiuwa flexing on KD & Nigeria’s win over Team USA 👀
The “block of the century”. Nigeria’s Achiuwa saying NO WAY to the great NBA legend, Kevin Durant in the Nig-USA game earlier today.
Nigeria won 90 -87
Hey, Kevin Durant, meet Precious Achiuwa 🇳🇬🦍
Precious Achiuwa meets Kevin Durant at the rim and denies his dunk attempt. Heck of a block by the second-year Miami Heat center.
Achiuwa didn’t see too many minutes last season for the Heat, but the 6-foot-8 big man still averaged 1.4 blocks per 36 minutes. He should see an uptick in playing time next year, especially after a strong Olympic showing.
Achiuwa Preached Defense on Draft Day
Miami knew they were getting a work in progress on the offensive end when they drafted Achiuwa in the first round. The Nigerian-born star averaged 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks per game in his lone season at the University of Memphis en route to American Athletic Conference (AAC) Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors.
His most impressive performance came during an overtime win against Tulane on Feb. 29 when he tallied a career-high 22 rebounds to go along with 22 points. Prior to the draft last spring, Achiuwa openly talked about how he could make an impact right away in the NBA. Defensive intensity was at the top of his list, coupled with “bringing a lot of energy.”
“I think defense is something I can bring right away on an NBA team, just watching the games and seeing how they’re picking on the weakest link on defense,” Achiuwa said, via Forbes. “I believe that’s one of my strengths and something I can bring to the table right away to an NBA team.”
Precious Achiuwa totaled 22 points and a career-high 22 rebounds for his 16th double-double of the season. Memphis blew a late lead before holding off Tulane 74-67!
MVP-ESQUE PERFORMANCE ❗🔥
