NEW ORLEANS –
Former Sooner Jeremiah Fears continues to turn heads in the NBA, and is looking like the cornerstone piece for the future for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Fears scored 40 points (17-29 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 5-5 FT), grabbed five rebounds, and recorded six assists and three steals over 38 minutes during Tuesday’s 156-137 win over the Utah Jazz.
Not only is the 40 points a new career high in scoring, it also established the Pelicans’ new single-game rookie scoring record in the blowout win. He became just the fifth rookie in the past decade to post a 40-5-5 line, and he only committed two turnovers in his 38 minutes of floor time.
With his 40-point game, he became the fourth-youngest player to reach the scoring milestone, following GG Jackson, LeBron James and Cooper Flagg.
He also joined Flagg as one of the only rookies who have scored 40 or more points in the NBA this season.
The No. 7 pick of last year’s NBA Draft is averaging 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists across 79 games in his first season in the league.