By R.L. Bynum
The bigger news for UNC alums was that the Phoenix Suns are reportedly trading Cameron Johnson to Brooklyn (more on that deal here), but the flurry of trades ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline has worked quite nicely so far for Reggie Bullock.
After starting only 30 of the Dallas Mavericks’ 52 games, Bullock is back as a Mavericks starter and playing well. He scored 15 of 18 points and five of his six 3-pointers in the first quarter Wednesday as Dallas earned a 110–104 road victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Bullock, a former Clipper, collected five rebounds, six assists and two steals as the Mavericks won despite playing without Luka Dončić (right heel contusion) for the third consecutive game. In his first game back in the starting lineup on Monday, Bullock scored 13 points and three 3-pointers.
Bullock’s only better game score this season than the 18.2 he put up Wednesday was his 21.3 when he scored 24 points at Portland on Jan. 14.
Dallas acquired former Duke guard Kyrie Irving from Brooklyn on Monday in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick, and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029.
Finney-Smith had started all 40 games for Dallas before the trade, and Bullock has started in the two games since then.
Irving scored 24 points Wednesday in his Mavericks debut.
It was one of Theo Pinson’s best games of the season. In 16 minutes, Pinson’s second-highest minutes total in a game this season, he scored nine points and two 3-pointers with two rebounds and four assists.
“We just wanted to bring in our brother with a win,” Pinson said of Irving. “We’re happy that Ky is here to help us out, to get to the goal we want to win a championship.”
It was only Pinson’s fifth game this season with double-digit minutes and is topped in scoring only by his 11-point game on Jan. 14 at Portland.
“When you bring a talent like that on the team, you just want to play well, do everything you can to help him ease into the process,” said Pinson, whose 8.2 game score was second only this season to the 10.1 he put up in his 11-point game at Portland on Jan. 14.
Harrison Barnes also had a good night, scoring 16 points in Sacramento’s 130–128 victory at Houston. He knows a little bit about how crazy the trade deadline can be after Dallas traded him to Sacramento in the middle of a game on Feb. 6, 2019.
The Kings concluded a six-game road trip at 3–3. Barnes scored 23 points on Friday at Indiana but has only combined for 16 points in the two games after that before he was more productive against the Rockets.
Walker Kessler had 16 points, nine rebounds and three steals in Utah’s 143–118 home loss Wednesday to Minnesota. His 19.1 game score was his fifth this season of at least 19.
Nassir Little contributed nine points, five rebounds and an assist as Portland beat Golden State 125–122 at home Wednesday.
Justin Jackson didn’t play (coach’s decision) in Boston’s 106–99 home win over Philadelphia.
Garrison Brooks still is in concussion protocol and missed the Westchester Knicks’ 121–107 win Wednesday at College Park.
Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic guard
Age 22 | 6–3, 185 | third NBA season | UNC 2019–20 (1 season)
Off Wednesday
Season statistics — 37 games, 12.0 points, 44.1 FG%, 33.9 3P%, 89.1 FT%, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists
Next games — 7 p.m. Thursday vs. Denver; 7 p.m. Saturday vs. Miami
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings forward
Age 30 | 6–8, 225 | 11th NBA season | UNC 2010–12 (2 seasons)
130–128 Wednesday win at Houston — Started; 33 minutes, 16 points, 5–10 FG, 1–2 3FG, 5–5 FT, 2 rebounds, 1 foul, +3, 11.6 game score
Season statistics — 54 games, 15.1 points, 47.8 FG%, 38.3 3FG%, 82.6 FT%, 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Next games — 10 p.m. Friday vs. Dallas; 10 p.m. Saturday vs. Dallas
Tony Bradley, Chicago Bulls center
Age 25 | 6–10, 248 | sixth NBA season | UNC 2016–17 (1 season)
Off Wednesday
Season statistics — 11 games, 30 minutes, 14 points, 4–9 FG, 2–4 3FG, 5–5 FT, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Next games — 7:30 Thursday at Brooklyn, TNT; 8 p.m. Saturday at Cleveland
Reggie Bullock, Dallas Mavericks small forward
Age 31 | 6–6, 205 | 10th NBA season | UNC 2010–13 (3 seasons)
110–104 Wednesday win at Los Angeles Clippers — Started; 18 points, 6–13 FG, 6–12 3FG, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 fouls, +10, 18.2 game score
Season statistics — 54 games, 6.8 points, 39.6 FG%, 37.0 3P%, 64.5 FT%, 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Next games — 10 p.m. Friday at Sacramento; 10 p.m. Saturday at Sacramento
Danny Green, Memphis Grizzlies guard
Age 35 | 6–6, 205 | 13th NBA season | UNC 2005–09 (4 seasons)
Off Wednesday
Season statistics — 3 games, 43 minutes, 9 points, 3–11 FG, 3–8 3FG, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Next games — 8 p.m. Friday vs. Minnesota; 2 p.m. Sunday at Boston, ABC
Justin Jackson, Boston Celtics forward
Age 27 | 6–8, 220| sixth NBA season | UNC 2014–17 (3 seasons)
106–99 Wednesday win vs. Philadelphia — Didn’t play (coach’s decision)
Season statistics — 23 games, 107 minutes, 20 points, 7–27 FG, 5–20 3FG, 17 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 blocks, 4 steals
Next games — 7:30 Friday vs. Charlotte, ESPN; 2 p.m. Sunday vs. Memphis, ABC
Cameron Johnson, Brooklyn Nets forward
(assuming the reported trade goes through)
Age 27 | 6–8, 210| fourth NBA season | UNC 2017–19 (2 seasons)
Off Wednesday
Season statistics — 17 games, 13.9 points, 47.4 FG%, 45.5 3P%, 81.8 FT%, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Next games — 7:30 Thursday vs. Chicago, TNT; 6 p.m. Saturday vs. Philadelphia, NBATV
Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz center
Age 21 | 7–0, 245 | rookie NBA season | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
143–118 Wednesday loss vs. Minnesota — Started; 30 minutes, 16 points, 6–10 FG, 4–5 3FG, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 blocks, -19, 19.1 game score
Season statistics — 54 games, 8.0 points, 71.0 FG%, 54.8 FT%, 7.4 rebounds, 0.8 of an assist, 2.1 blocks
Next games — 7:30 Friday at Toronto; 7:30 Saturday at New York
Nassir Little, Portland Trail Blazers forward
Age 22 | 6–5, 220 | third NBA season | UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
125–122 Wednesday win vs. Golden State — 26 minutes, 9 points, 4–6 FG, 1–3 3FG, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 fouls, +11, 7.8 game score
Season statistics — 34 games, 5.9 points, 45.7 FG%, 40.2 3P%, 60.7 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 0.8 of an assist
Next games — 10 p.m. Friday vs. Oklahoma City; 10 p.m. Monday vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Theo Pinson, Dallas Mavericks guard
Age 27 | 6–5, 212 | fifth NBA season | UNC 2014–18 (4 seasons)
110–104 Wednesday win at Los Angeles Clippers — 16 minutes, 9 points, 3–4 FG, 2–2 3FG, 1–2 FT, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, -1, 8.2 game score
Season statistics — 28 games, 167 minutes, 53 points, 16–40 FG, 12–28 3FG, 9–11 FT, 34 rebounds, 19 assists, 2 steals
Next games — 10 p.m. Friday at Sacramento; 10 p.m. Saturday at Sacramento
Day’Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets center
Age 21 | 6–9, 265 | second NBA season | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
Off Wednesday
Season NBA statistics — 29 games, 3.7 points, 52.4 FG%, 4–5 3FG, 65.2 FT%, 3.5 rebounds, 0.7 of an assist, 0.5 of a block
Season 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 Thursday vs. Chicago, TNT; 6 p.m. Saturday vs. Philadelphia, NBATV
Coby White, Chicago Bulls guard
Age 22 | 6–4, 195 | fourth NBA season| UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
Off Wednesday
Season statistics — 46 games, 8.5 points, 41.6 FG%, 36.1 3P%, 2.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Next games — 7:30 Thursday at Brooklyn, TNT; 8 p.m. Saturday at Cleveland
In the G League
Garrison Brooks, Westchester Knicks center
Age 23 | 6–10, 240 | Rookie | UNC 2017–21 (4 seasons)
121–107 Wednesday win at College Park — Not active for game (concussion)
Season statistics — 27 games, 13.2 points, 63.8 2PFGP%, 0–18 3P, 53.7 FT%, 11.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.6 of a block, 19 double-doubles
Next games — 7 p.m. Friday vs. Sioux Falls; 1 p.m. Sunday vs. Raptors 905
Get an explanation of the game score metric here. Michael Jordan produced the all-time-high game score of 64.6 on March 28, 1990, in the Chicago Bulls’ 117–113 overtime win at Cleveland. Jordan had 69 points on 23 of 37 shooting (2 of 6 from 3-point range), made 21 of 23 free-throw attempts and collected 18 rebounds, six assists, four steals and a block.
Photo via @dallasmavs
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