By R.L. Bynum
Harrison Barnes’ play in January has been spectacular and, according to his coach, is “irreplaceable.” With his leadership, the Sacramento Kings continued to roll Monday, doing it in record-breaking fashion.
Barnes scored 15 of his 20 points and five of his six 3-pointers as the Kings tied an NBA record with 12 first-quarter 3-pointers on 13 attempts in a 47-point period. Sacramento finished off Memphis by outscoring the Grizzlies 33–10 in the fourth quarter for a 133–100 home victory.
The Kings’ seventh win in their last eight games came by their largest margin of the season, thanks to 22 3-pointers.
In January, Barnes is averaging 21.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.5 3-pointers while shooting 53% from the floor and 51.4% from 3-point range.
“HB is irreplaceable from the standpoint that he brings a calming presence to us, no matter the situation,” Sacramento coach Mike Brown said, adding that his two All-Stars DeAaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis are still learning how to lead. “They haven’t necessarily been in huge pressure moments in the NBA and came out on top. HB has. His calmness, his presence in a tight ballgame is extremely helpful for our young guys. Not just short-term but long-term.”
It sounds like the annual trade rumors won’t be heard this season, with Sacramento looking firmly like a playoff team at 27–19 and third in the Western Conference.
Barnes scored 12 of Sacramento’s first 15 points and made his first five 3-point attempts. He needed 81 seconds to score three 3-pointers and give the Kings a 9–7 edge.
“He’s the grown-up of all the grown-ups on our team,” Brown said. “There’s a lot on the floor and off the floor that he does that our younger guys continue to sit back and watch and learn from him to grow the right way.
“So, he has to be around for his mere presence alone,” he said. “Then, on top of that, he can play. We can play through him if we need to. We can throw him on this guy, that guy, throw him on a 7-footer, throw him on a guy who is 6-foot-6. His versatility is huge for us defensively.”
Barnes’ Monday effort follows up his 27-point game in Saturday’s 129–127 home loss to Philadelphia when he also scored six 3-pointers. Barnes has made 12 of 18 from 3-point shots in the last two games as he continues to surge after a slow start to his season offensively.
“Sticking with the process,” Barnes told The Athletic. “Make or miss, if we’re taking quality shots, they’ll eventually go. Earlier on in the season, I was shooting whatever percentage from the field — some nights low, some nights not. But knowing that if I stick to the process, don’t isolate out of the offense to get rhythm, try to get points that way, things would even out.”
Cole Anthony collected 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals as the Orlando Magic ended the Boston Celtics’ nine-game win streak with a 113–98 home win Monday.
Orlando pulled away after Jason Tatum’s 3-pointer with 6:20 remaining cut its lead to 97–95.
“We guarded in that second half,” Anthony said. “Under 100 points for a team that’s got two guys [Tatum and Jalen Brown] averaging 60 points? That’s a heck of a job by our team.”
Justin Jackson was scoreless in one minute for Boston.
On Saturday, Anthony had six points, six rebounds and three blocks in the Magic’s 138–118 loss at Washington.
Anthony went over the 2,000 points for his career Monday, pushing his total to 2,010.
Coby White had 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in Chicago’s 111–110 home win over Atlanta for the Bulls’ season-high third consecutive victory. He beat the shot-clock buzzer with a dunk late in the third quarter.
Tony Bradley didn’t play (coach’s decision) for the second time in three games since returning to the active roster on Jan. 15.
Walker Kessler, starting for the seventh consecutive game, contributed 13 points and nine rebounds Monday as the Utah Jazz blew out the Charlotte Hornets 120–102. He capped an 18–4 run with a dunk to give the Jazz a 107–83 lead with 6:07 remaining.
Nassir Little has scored in double figures in four of his five games since returning from a shoulder injury. He scored 11 points and three 3-pointers in Portland’s 121–112 home win Sunday over the Los Angeles Lakers. Little had 10 points, two 3-pointers, three assists and a season-high game score of 11.2 Monday in a 147–127 home victory over San Antonio.
Little reached 400 career defensive rebounds against the Spurs.
After scoring 19 points on Thursday night in his return after missing more than two months recovering from a knee injury, Cameron Johnson didn’t play in Phoenix’s 112–107 Saturday home win over Indiana in what the Suns termed “injury management.”
Johnson was back and started in Sunday’s 112–110 home win over Memphis, collecting eight points and six rebounds in 29 minutes.
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In the G League, Garrison Brooks produced his 17th double-double of the season with 22 points and 17 rebounds in the Westchester Knicks’ 99–97 home loss Sunday to Iowa. Brooks is averaging a double-double with 13.7 points and 12.1 rebounds.
Reggie Bullock has played better offensively in recent weeks but had his ninth scoreless game of the season Sunday in a 112–98 Dallas home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. He pulled down four rebounds but missed all four shots. Theo Pinson didn’t play (coach’s decision).
Day’Ron Sharpe has been with Brooklyn on its current five-game road trip that finishes Wednesday in Philadelphia. But he hasn’t played (coach’s decision) in the last two games, including Sunday’s 120–116 win over Golden State.
Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic guard
Age 22 | 6–3, 185 | third NBA season | UNC 2019–20 (1 season)
138–118 Saturday loss at Washington — 22 minutes, 6 points, 3–7 FG, 0–1 3FG, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, -17, 5.5 game score
113–98 Monday win vs. Boston — 23 minutes, 18 points, 8–12 FG, 0–1 3FG, 2–3 FT, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover, 1 foul, plus/minus of 0, 18.4 game score
Season statistics — 29 games, 11.8 points, 42.6 FG%, 30.9 3P%, 89.5 FT%, 4.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists
Next games — 7 p.m. Wednesday vs. Indiana; 8 p.m. Friday at Miami
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings forward
Age 30 | 6–8, 225 | 11th NBA season | UNC 2010–12 (2 seasons)
129–127 Saturday loss vs. Philadelphia — Started; 38 minutes, 27 points, 8–13 FG, 6–9 3FG, 5–7 FT, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 fouls, +6, 21.8 game score
133–100 Monday win vs. Memphis — Started; 30 minutes, 20 points, 6–10 FG, 6–9 3FG (tied season-high), 2–2 FT, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, +8, 16.0 game score
Season statistics — 46 games, 15.6 points, 48.8 FG%, 39.0 3FG%, 82.5 FT%, 4.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists
Next games — 10 p.m. Wednesday vs. Toronto; 8 p.m. Saturday at Minnesota
Tony Bradley, Chicago Bulls center
Age 25 | 6–10, 248 | sixth NBA season | UNC 2016–17 (1 season)
111–100 Monday win vs. Atlanta — Didn’t play (coach’s decision)
Season statistics — 10 games, 25 minutes, 12 points, 4–8 FG, 2–4 3FG, 2–2 FT, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Next games — 7 p.m. Tuesday at Indiana; 7:30 Thursday at Charlotte, Bally Sports SE
Reggie Bullock, Dallas Mavericks small forward
Age 31 | 6–6, 205 | 10th NBA season | UNC 2010–13 (3 seasons)
112–98 Sunday loss vs. Los Angeles Clippers — Didn’t start; 32 minutes, 0 points, 0–4 FG, 0–3 3FG, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 fouls, -2, -1.1 game score
Season statistics — 46 games, 6.2 points, 37.9 FG%, 35.5 3P%, 65.4 FT%, 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Next games — 8:30 Tuesday vs. Washington; 10 p.m. Thursday at Phoenix, TNT
Justin Jackson, Boston Celtics forward
Age 27 | 6–8, 220| sixth NBA season | UNC 2014–17 (3 seasons)
106–104 Saturday win at Toronto — Didn’t play (coach’s decision)
113–98 Monday loss at Orlando — 1 minute, -3
Season statistics — 20 games, 84 minutes, 15 points, 5–22 FG, 4–16 3FG, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 blocks, 4 steals
Next games — 7:30 Tuesday at Miami, TNT; 7:30 Thursday vs. New York, TNT
Cameron Johnson, Phoenix Suns forward
Age 27 | 6–8, 210| fourth NBA season | UNC 2017–19 (2 seasons)
112–107 Saturday win vs. Indiana — Didn’t play (injury management)
112–110 Sunday win vs. Memphis — Started; 29 minutes, 8 points, 3–9 FG, 0–4 3FG, 2–3 FT, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, -2, 3.2 game score
Season statistics — 10 games, 13.1 points, 43.1 FG%, 43.1 3P%, 82.6FT%, 3.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists
Next games — 9 p.m. Tuesday vs. Charlotte, Bally Sports SE; 10 p.m. Thursday vs. Dallas, TNT
Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz center
Age 21 | 7–0, 245 | rookie NBA season | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
120–102 Monday win vs. Charlotte — Started; 22 minutes, 13 points, 5–6 FG, 3–4 FT, 9 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 5 fouls, +15, 10.7 game score
Season statistics — 47 games, 7.6 points, 71.0 FG%, 55.1 FT%, 7.6 rebounds, 0.7 of an assist, 1.9 blocks
Next games — 10 p.m. Wednesday at Portland; 9 p.m. Saturday vs. Dallas
Nassir Little, Portland Trail Blazers forward
Age 22 | 6–5, 220 | third NBA season | UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
121–112 Sunday win vs. Los Angeles Lakers — 13 minutes, 11 points, 4–7 FG, 3–5 3FG, 1 block, 3 fouls, -12, 7.2 game score
147–127 Monday win vs. San Antonio — 18 minutes, 10 points, 4–6 FG, 2–2 3FG, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block +16, 11.2 game score (season-high)
Season statistics — 26 games, 6.1 points, 48.8 FG%, 43.1 3P%, 61.5 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 0.8 of an assist
Next games — 10 p.m. Wednesday vs. Utah; 10 p.m. Saturday vs. Toronto
Theo Pinson, Dallas Mavericks guard
Age 27 | 6–5, 212 | fifth NBA season | UNC 2014–18 (4 seasons)
112–98 Sunday loss vs. Los Angeles Clippers — Didn’t play (coach’s decision)
Season statistics — 24 games, 131 minutes, 41 points, 12–34 FG, 9–24 3FG, 8–9 FT, 27 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals
Next games — 8:30 Tuesday vs. Washington; 10 p.m. Thursday at Phoenix, TNT
Day’Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets center
Age 21 | 6–9, 265 | second NBA season | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
120–116 Sunday win at Golden State — Didn’t play (coach’s decision)
Season NBA statistics — 23 games, 189 minutes, 78 points, 30–57 FG, 4–5 3FG, 14–21 FT, 70 rebounds, 15 assists, 3 steals, 13 blocks
G League statistics — 14 games, 16.3 points, 64.4 2PFG%, 21.1 3FG%, 57.1 FT%, 12.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 blocks, 12 double-doubles
Next games — 7:30 Wednesday at Philadelphia, ESPN; 7:30 Thursday vs. Detroit
Coby White, Chicago Bulls guard
Age 22 | 6–4, 195 | fourth NBA season| UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
111–100 Monday win vs. Atlanta — 22 minutes, 10 points, 4–12 FG, 2–9 3FG, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, -1, 5.0 game score
Season statistics — 38 games, 8.4 points, 43.0 FG%, 36.6 3P%, 2.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Next games — 7 p.m. Tuesday at Indiana; 7:30 Thursday at Charlotte, Bally Sports SE
In the G League
Garrison Brooks, Westchester Knicks center
Age 23 | 6–10, 240 | Rookie | UNC 2017–21 (4 seasons)
99–97 Sunday loss vs. Iowa — Started; 36 minutes, 22 points, 9–15 FG, 2–4 FT, 17 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 fouls, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, -5
Season statistics — 23 games, 13.7 points, 51.9 2PFG%, 0–18 3P, 51.9 FT%, 12.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.6 of a block, 17 double-doubles
Next games — 7 p.m. Tuesday vs. Iowa, ESPN+; 7 p.m. Friday vs. Grand Rapids
Out while recovering from surgery
— Memphis forward Danny Green had offseason surgery to repair a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee suffered in May, and is targeting to make his season debut before the All-Star break in February.
Get an explanation of the game score metric here.
Photo via @SacramentoKings
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