Covington scores 23 in Sixers win; Okafor held to two points

ALBANY, N.Y. - Robert Covington could be viewed as "The Forgotten One." He's the expected 76ers starter whom folks speak about the least.

But the swingman showed Saturday that he's capable of filling the same sharpshooting role as last season. Covington came out blazing in a 97-95 preseason victory over the Brooklyn Nets at the Times Union Center.

The game wasn't decided until the final seconds. T.J. McConnell's 17-foot jumper gave the Sixers (2-1) a two-point cushion with 7.1 seconds left. The Nets had two opportunities to knot the score. Jarrett Jack missed a jumper. Then, after a timeout with 0.7 seconds left, Sixers shooting guard JaKarr Sampson stole the ball underneath the Nets basket.

But Covington was the star, scoring 14 of his 23 points in the first 8 minutes, 22 seconds of the game. Covington made 3 of 5 three-pointers in the stretch before being subbed out the rest of the first quarter. He missed his final four three-pointers, but he finished the game with eight rebounds, five steals, two assists, a block, and a turnover.

"I'm definitely still going to be a vital part of this offense," Covington said. "It's just the way we get into this offense. We try to get our big [center Jahlil Okafor] going, and allow him to create other stuff. . . . It's just nothing about being forgotten. It's about getting everything flowing."

While Covington stood out, the Sixers starter who is most spoken about experienced some rookie growing pains.

Okafor was held to two points on just 1-of-6 shooting to go with four rebounds, one assist, and four turnovers in 16:56. The 6-foot-11, 268-pounder, who missed his first five shots, didn't play in the fourth quarter. His minutes are being restricted because of a sore knee.

The 19-year-old had a hard time getting to his desired spots on the floor while drawing crowds. Then he was stripped a couple of times once he got there. Part of the problem is that Okafor, the third overall pick out of Duke, is given no room to move even on the court as the primary offensive threat. Teams are doing everything possible to stop him, forcing another Sixer to beat them.

"I have to work on my entire game," Okafor said. "I'm just trying to keep making progress. . . . It's preseason. So I'm trying to work everything out."

His only points came on a reverse layup over Brook Lopez with 8:28 left in the third quarter.

Hollis Thompson scored 17 points in a reserve role, while Isaiah Canaan added nine points and eight assists.

Jerami Grant had three points while starting in place of Nerlens Noel at power forward. Noel missed the game after bruising his lower back and left knee in Thursday night's 115-114 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The second-year player rode an exercise bike and iced his back before Saturday's game. He will be reassessed after receiving treatment Sunday. His status for Monday's game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden is up in the air.

Former Sixer Thaddeus Young had nine points in 25 minutes for Brooklyn. Thomas Robinson, another former Sixer, missed the game with a sprained right wrist.

Robinson embraced Sixers coach Brett Brown during Brown's pregame media availability. Then Young hugged his former coach near the Sixers bench before the game.

Chester product and Nets rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson scored two points before suffering a game-ending sprained right ankle in the third quarter.

kpompey@phillynews.com

@PompeyOnSixers

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