Kenneth Lofton Jr. 42-point performance against Thunder. Apr 9, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Kenneth Lofton Jr. (6) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder center Olivier Sarr (30) during the second half at Paycom Center. Oklahoma City won 115-100. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
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The Memphis Grizzlies had very little to play for in their regular season finale on Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, already securing the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. They mostly played their bench players, which allowed rookie forward Kenneth Lofton Jr. to start his first game and make NBA history in the process.

Lofton Jr. has only played in 23 games this season, splitting time between the Grizzlies NBA squad and their G-League affiliate. He impressively earned himself G-League MVP honors this season at the lower level.

However, Sunday’s game presented an amazing opportunity for him to show off his skills at the NBA level, and he did so in a massive way.

Lofton finished the game with 42 points along with 14 rebounds while hitting 17-of-25 shots from the field in a losing effort.

He came into Sunday’s game averaging only averaging 3.4 points per game. Needless to say, Sunday’s game was a career-high in both points and rebounds.

Considering it was his first NBA start, it is certainly an eye-opening performance. His 43 points in his first start is the most from any rookie dating back to 1970.

The Thunder were also playing their bench players with their seeding also solidified. Regardless, Lofton’s performance certainly caught the attention of the NBA world.

It is obviously only one game, but it looks like the Grizzlies could have an extremely promising young talent on their hands in Kenneth Lofton Jr.

[Shawn Coleman on Twitter]

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.

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