TORONTO — A seldom-used bench player scored 11 points during the final six minutes of a 27-point game Wednesday, prompting his agent to add “elite closing ability” to all future promotional materials.
“When the game reaches its most decided stage, he wants the ball,” the agent said. “That is something you cannot teach.”
The player hit three jumpers against a lineup consisting largely of reserves, recent call-ups, and one veteran visibly calculating how soon the team bus would leave.
Broadcast commentators praised his readiness and wondered aloud whether the performance could earn him more minutes, fulfilling the standard garbage-time ritual required by league policy.
The opposing defense responded by continuing to allow shots, creating what the agent later described as “high-pressure late-game production.”
Coaches said they appreciated the effort but would evaluate it in context, a phrase the agent immediately removed from the quote.
The updated résumé now lists his fourth-quarter scoring average without mentioning score differential.
