By R.L. Bynum
Harrison Barnes keeps playing good all-around games, and it’s no coincidence that the Sacramento Kings are having one of their best seasons in years. He’s getting the job done on defense, and has the bling to prove it.
Barnes made huge plays down the stretch as Sacramento ended a six-game Eastern Conference road trip with a 122–113 victory at Detroit on Friday night.
“This has been a tough road trip for us,” Barnes said. “For us to go 3–3 against some of the top teams in the East and to really come together as a group. I thought it was big for us.”
Barnes had 19 points, three 3-pointers, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals. His 17.4 game score was his best on the road and fifth-best overall this season.
To emphasize playing well on defense, first-year coach Mike Brown recently began awarding a chain to the defensive player of the game, and Brown awarded it to Barnes after the second consecutive game.
“We had no problem scoring the ball but getting stops was something that we pride ourselves on, so it’s just something we just pass out in the locker room after games,” Barnes said. “Today, I was able to I was able to rock it.”
After the Pistons cut Sacramento’s lead to six midway through the fourth quarter, Barnes followed a 3-pointer by stripping the ball away from Detroit’s Bojan Bogdanovic for a layup to push the lead to 111–100 with 5:46 left. Detroit never mounted a threat after that.
“I think, as a group, we’re just resilient,” Barnes said. “You know, starting off 0 and 4, that was a perfect opportunity and all the reasons in the world to just fold. But this group really came together, stringing together wins, stringing together an identity. I think now we have a standard of performance every single night that we know how we want to play, and we hold ourselves to that.”
Sacramento is 16–12 and fifth in the Western Conference.
Barnes passed Bogdan Bogdanovic for seventh in the Kings’ all-time 3-pointers list at 428.
Cole Anthony had another solid game for Orlando as the Magic won for the fifth consecutive game with a 117–109 Friday road upset of the NBA-leading Boston Celtics.
Anthony collected 14 points, five rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes off the bench as Orlando won on the road for only the second time in 13 games.
Orlando is 10–20, 13th in the Eastern Conference.
Justin Jackson didn’t play for Boston (coach’s decision)
Coby White had seven points and five rebounds in 22 minutes of Chicago’s 114–91 Friday home loss to New York. Tony Bradley had two points and three rebounds in a season-high four minutes, 28 seconds.
In the Dallas Mavericks’ 130–122 home win Friday over Portland, Reggie Bullock was +16 with four points, three rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes. Theo Pinson played a season-high six minutes, 40 seconds, missing his only shot with two rebounds and an assist.
In Utah’s 132–129 overtime home win over New Orleans on Thursday, Walker Kessler had 11 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in 28 minutes.
In the G League on Thursday, Day’Ron Sharpe’s Long Island Nets got their second win of the week against Garrison Brooks’ Westchester Knicks.
Sharpe collected his fourth double-double in as many G League games with 16 points and 12 rebounds as Long Island won 100–96. Garrison Brooks had eight points, 14 rebounds, two steals and two assists but sprained an ankle and missed Westchester’s 122–113 Friday loss vs. Delaware.
Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic guard
Age 22 | 6–3, 185 | third NBA season | UNC 2019–20 (1 season)
117–109 Friday win at Boston — 29 minutes; 14 points, 7–13 FG, 0–5 3FG, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, +7, 8.5 game score
Season statistics — 13 games, 13.5 points, 44.4 FG%, 32.1 3P%, 86.8 FT%, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.9 of a steal
Next games — 3 p.m. Sunday at Boston; 7:30 Monday at Atlanta
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings forward
Age 30 | 6–8, 225 | 11th NBA season | UNC 2010–12 (2 seasons)
122–113 Friday win at Detroit — Started; 37 minutes, 19 points, 5–9 FG, 3–4 3FG, 6–6 FT, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, +16, 17.4 game score
Season statistics — 28 games, 13.9 points, 48.6 FG%, 30.8 3FG%, 83.3 FT%, 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Next games — Monday vs. Charlotte, Bally Sports SE; 10 p.m. Wednesday vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Tony Bradley, Chicago Bulls center
Age 24 | 6–10, 248 | sixth NBA season | UNC 2016–17 (1 season)
114–91 Friday loss vs. New York — 4 minutes, 2 points, 1–1 FG, 3 rebounds, +7, 2.6 game score
Season statistics — 8 games, 23 minutes, 12 points, 4–6 FG, 1–1 3FG, 2–2 FT, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Next games — 7 p.m. Sunday at Minnesota; 7:30 Tuesday at Miami
Reggie Bullock, Dallas Mavericks small forward
Age 31 | 6–6, 205 | 10th NBA season | UNC 2010–13 (3 seasons)
130–110 Friday win vs. Portland — 29 minutes, 4 points, 1–4 FG, 1–3 3FG, 1–1 FT, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 foul, +16, 4.6 game score
Season statistics — 28 games, 5.1 points, 33.8 FG%, 31.9 3P%, 71.4 FT%, 3.0 rebounds, 0.9 of an assist
Next games — 8 p.m. Saturday at Cleveland; 8 p.m. Monday at Minnesota
Justin Jackson, Boston Celtics forward
Age 27 | 6–8, 220| sixth NBA season | UNC 2014–17 (3 seasons)
117–109 Friday loss vs. Orlando — Didn’t play (coach’s decision)
Season statistics — 12 games, 62 minutes, 6 points, 2–13 FG, 2–11 3FG, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals
Next games — 3 p.m. Sunday vs. Orlando; 7:30 Wednesday vs. Indiana
Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz center
Age 21 | 7–0, 245 | rookie NBA season | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
132–129 OT Thursday win vs. New Orleans — 28 minutes, 11 points, 4–4 FG, 3–4 FT, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 2 turnovers, 5 fouls, +12, 12.4 game score
Season statistics — 28 games, 6.5 points, 74.0 FG%, 58.7 FT%, 6.1 rebounds, 0.6 of an assist, 1.9 blocks
Next games — 8 p.m. Saturday at Milwaukee; 7 p.m. Monday at Cleveland
Theo Pinson, Dallas Mavericks guard
Age 27 | 6–5, 212 | fifth NBA season | UNC 2014–18 (4 seasons)
130–110 Friday win vs. Portland — 7 minutes, 0 points, 0–1 FG, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, -5, 0.6 game score
Season statistics — 10 games, 37 minutes, 6 points, 1–6 FG, 0–4 3FG, 4–4 FT, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
Next games — 8 p.m. Saturday at Cleveland; 8 p.m. Monday at Minnesota
Day’Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets center
Age 21 | 6–9, 265 | second NBA season | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
100–96 Thursday win in G League vs. Westchester — Started; 30 minutes, 16 points, 8–11 FG, 0–1 3FG, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 fouls, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 1 block, +8
Season NBA statistics — 17 games, 152 minutes, 61 points, 23–45 FG, 3–4 3FG, 12–17 FT, 57 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, 18 blocks
Season G League statistics — 4 games, 20.8 points, 66.0 FG%, 16.7 3FG%, 58.3 FT%, 13.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 blocks
Next game(s) — 6 p.m. Sunday at Detroit; possibly 7 p.m. Tuesday playing for Long Island vs. Greensboro
Coby White, Chicago Bulls guard
Age 22 | 6–4, 195 | fourth NBA season| UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
114–91 Friday loss vs. New York — 22 minutes, 7 points, 3–7 FG, 1–4 3FG, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, plus/minus of 0, 2.3 game score
Season statistics — 20 games, 7.6 points, 40.6 FG%, 32.6 3P%, 2.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Next games — 7 p.m. Sunday at Minnesota; 7:30 Tuesday at Miami
In the G League
Garrison Brooks, Westchester Knicks center
Age 23 | 6–10, 240 | Rookie| UNC 2017–21 (4 seasons)
100–96 Thursday loss at Long Island — Started; 23 minutes, 8 points, 4–7 FG, 0–1 FT, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, 1 block, -1
122–113 Friday loss vs. Delaware — Didn’t play (ankle sprain)
Season statistics — 15 games, 13.4 points, 61.1 FG%, 0–9 3P, 53.6 FT%, 12.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.7 of a block
Next games — 7 p.m. Tuesday at Lakeland; 7 p.m. Thursday at Lakeland
Out while recovering from surgery
— Phoenix forward Cameron Johnson is expected to return this month or early January after having right knee surgery on Nov. 8. His season statistics: 8 games, 13.0 points, 44.6 FG%, 43.1 3P%, 72.7 FT%, 2.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists
— Memphis forward Danny Green will miss most of the season after surgery to repair a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee suffered in May.
Out until mid-January
— Portland forward Nassir Little suffered a mild femoral impaction fracture to his right hip on Nov. 29. His season statistics: 21 games, 5.5 points, 47.3 FG%, 37.2 3P%, 66.7 FT%, 2.4 rebounds, 0.9 of an assist
Get an explanation of the game score metric here.
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