By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Aday Mara hit his first NBA three-pointer and blocked three shots as Oklahoma City beat Washington 114–75. The 21-year-old Spanish center finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes, shooting 8-for-10 from the field.
His block on Bilal Coulibaly extended his streak to 10 games with at least one block to start his NBA career, matching a feat Pau Gasol accomplished as a rookie. According to Mundo Deportivo, Mara is the 20th player in NBA history to do it. He has 19 blocks through those 10 games.
“We see it a lot in practice. He has a soft touch,” teammate Jared McCain said, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo. “I think more of those are going to go in. I’m excited for him.”
McCain was just as impressed by how much ground the 7-foot-3 center can cover on defense.
“It’s incredible. He can contest a midrange shot and then grab the rebound. Those are things you can’t teach. I couldn’t do that even on my most athletic day. Even when he doesn’t score, he affects the game in all those ways. And when you add that he’s a lob threat and that step-back midrange shot he hit, there aren’t many people who can stop him.”
Kenrich Williams also pointed to how quickly Mara is developing.
“He’s evolving before our eyes. He’s a special player, and he’s going to be a special player in this league. He’s going to keep getting better. There are areas where he can improve. I’m really proud of his growth. The three was the icing on the cake.”
Make 
Your Preferred Basketball Source.
Add Eurohoops to Google