Most people that took in the Thunder’s dramatic comeback victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday probably walked away from the game with two words in mind: Andre Roberson.
Judging by Chris Paul’s postgame comments, you can safely count him among them.
“Big time, man, big time,” Paul said of Roberson’s performance.
“Like I said, all the stuff [he]’s been through, then to hit those two big shots and then all the time people always looked at Dre as a stopper and defender and stuff like that. This league is all about confidence and to see the work that he’s put in, we got the ultimate confidence in him.”
In case you didn’t catch the game and don’t know what Paul is referring to, on Sunday, in his second game back after a 900-plus day absence, Roberson connected on two late-game three-pointers that helped the Thunder pull off an improbable comeback. They would pull off a stunning 102-97 victory despite trailing the Sixers by as many as 24 points and entering the fourth quarter behind by 11.
Andre Roberson puts the @okcthunder ahead and extends the lead with back-to-back treys late! 👌👏#ThunderUp #WholeNewGame pic.twitter.com/djog8AZY96
— NBA (@NBA) July 26, 2020
When it was all said and done, Roberson played 15 minutes. Although he only scored those six points, sometimes, it’s less about how many score and more about when you score them. He ended the evening with a plus-minus of plus-29, something that even surprised Paul himself once the game was completed.
“That’s tough, that’s real tough,” Paul said of the contribution.
“We’ve been saying all along this is an opportunity for Dre to show what he could do. I mean, I’ve played against Dre a lot of times and it even surprised me when we got back to camp and into working out to see how he was moving and stuff… I think I’m just happy to see him moving and gaining that confidence game-by-game.”
In what is perhaps a testament to the character and spirit of Roberson is the expediency with which Paul has grown fond of him. A longtime veteran and playing on his fourth NBA team, Paul has had scores of teammates. He and Roberson have been together on the Thunder for just more than a year, and already, he’s won Paul over.
“You talk about somebody who’s genuine and sincere and is one of the best teammates I’ve ever had, it’s Andre Roberson,” Paul said.
“If anybody deserves a chance, it’s him.”
After two games, it’s pretty obvious that Roberson has not only gotten his chance, he’s taking full advantage of it.