By R.L. Bynum
Justin Jackson has put up a lot of big numbers in the G League since joining the struggling Texas Legends on Feb. 24 and did that again on Thursday night, finally in a victory.
He had that sweet jump shot going that Carolina fans know so well, and put together an outstanding overall game.
Jackson poured in 32 points with a career-high 15 rebounds and five assists for his first double-double of the season as Texas snapped an 11-game losing streak with a 132–129 overtime road victory over Delaware. Jackson already had the double-double by halftime with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
He scored a season-high eight 3-pointers on 14 shots and is shooting 60.8% from outside the arc (14 of 23) in the last two games. Jackson’s best previous perimeter shooting night was 7 of 11 when he scored a season-high 36 points against Salt Lake City on March 6.
It was the Legends’ first victory since Jackson returned to the team where he played 28 games last season, averaging 22.2 points per game. Texas (7–21) has the worst record in the league.
Jackson’s 15 rebounds are more than he’s pulled down in an NBA or college game.
His NBA-high is 11 rebounds in a 97–92 win over Memphis while playing for Sacramento on Oct. 24, 2018. His college-high was 13 in Carolina’s 80–69 victory over Northwestern on Nov. 23, 2015. In that game, he scored a team-high 21 points in one of his four double-doubles as a Tar Heel.
Jackson played 23 games for the Boston Celtics this season before they dealt him to Oklahoma City at the trade deadline, and the Thunder released him.
Harrison Barnes was 13 years old the last time the Sacramento Kings had a winning season, which they clinched Thursday with a 101–96 road victory over the Brooklyn Nets. It last happened when the Kings went 44–38 in 2005–06 for the last of eight consecutive playoff appearances.
“I think being here for over four years now, and seeing the bottom — the very bottom — and to see the frustration of fans and the people in the organization, I think it’s nice to be on the other side it,” said Barnes, who contributed 11 points, six rebounds and two assists. “A lot of people, they don’t get a chance to stay in an organization long enough to see the good times and the bad, they just see the bad side. So I consider myself fortunate to be able to be part of this moment.”
There are reports that if Golden State moves on from Draymond Green after this season, the Warriors may try to bring back Barnes. Barnes played his first four seasons at Golden State, winning an NBA title in 2015, before being traded to Dallas.
If the standings remained the same, the Kings and the Warriors would play in the first round of the playoffs.
Sacramento (42–27), second in the Western Conference, is 10–2 since the All-Star break and will likely end the NBA’s longest current postseason drought.
Cameron Johnson had 10 points, six rebounds and two assists for the Nets, who have lost two in a row. Brooklyn (39–31) is sixth in the Eastern Conference with only a 1½ game lead on Miami to avoid the play-in tournament.
Day’Ron Sharpe didn’t play (coach’s decision) for the fourth consecutive game and the seventh in the last eight.
Johnson’s former team, the Phoenix Suns, beat the Orlando 116–113. Cole Anthony contributed 17 points, five rebounds and three assists for the Magic.
In the G League, Garrison Brooks missed the Westchester Knicks’ 117–108 loss to Fort Wayne with a hamstring injury.
Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic guard
Age 22 | 6–3, 185 | third NBA season | UNC 2019–20 (1 season)
116–113 Thursday loss at Phoenix — 27 minutes, 17 points, 5–9 FG, 2–4 3FG, 5–5 FT, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover, 1 foul, -1, 15.7 game score
Season statistics — 50 games, 12.4 points, 44.4 FG%, 35.4 3P%, 88.4 FT%, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists
Next games — 3 p.m. Saturday at Los Angeles Clippers; 9:30 Sunday at Los Angeles Lakers
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings forward
Age 30 | 6–8, 225 | 11th NBA season | UNC 2010–12 (2 seasons)
101–96 Thursday win at Brooklyn — Started; 31 minutes, 11 points, 2–6 FG, 1–3 3FG, 6–7 FT, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 1 foul, plus/minus of 0, 9.0 game score
Season statistics — 69 games, 15.0 points, 47.2 FG%, 36.8 3FG%, 84.7 FT%, 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Next games — 8 p.m. Saturday at Washington; 9 p.m. Monday at Utah
Reggie Bullock, Dallas Mavericks small forward
Age 32 | 6–6, 205 | 10th NBA season | UNC 2010–13 (3 seasons)
Off Thursday
Season statistics — 67 games, 7.2 points, 40.4 FG%, 38.0 3P%, 70.3 FT%, 3.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Next games — 10:30 Friday at Los Angles Lakers, NBATV; 8 p.m. Monday at Memphis, NBATV
Danny Green, Cleveland Cavaliers guard
Age 35 | 6–6, 205 | 13th NBA season | UNC 2005–09 (4 seasons)
Off Thursday
Season statistics — 8 games, 84 minutes, 25 points, 8–21 FG, 8–17 3FG, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
Next games — 7:30 Friday vs. Washington; 7:30 Tuesday at Brooklyn, NBATV
Cameron Johnson, Brooklyn Nets forward
Age 27 | 6–8, 210 | fourth NBA season | UNC 2017–19 (2 seasons)
101–96 Thursday loss vs. Sacramento — Started; 36 minutes, 10 points, 4–11 FG, 2–6 3FG, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block 2 fouls, -2, 8.0 game score
Season statistics — 31 games, 15.2 points, 45.6 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 80.0 FT%, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Next games — 3:30 Sunday vs. Denver; 7:30 Tuesday vs. Cleveland, NBATV
Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz center
Age 21 | 7–0, 245 | rookie NBA season | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
Off Thursday
Season statistics — 65 games, 8.6 points, 72.1 FG%, 54.2 FT%, 1–2 3FG, 8.6 rebounds, 0.8 of an assist, 2.3 blocks
Next games — 9 p.m. Saturday vs. Boston; 9 p.m. Monday vs. Sacramento
Nassir Little, Portland Trail Blazers forward
Age 23 | 6–5, 220 | third NBA season | UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
Off Thursday
Season statistics — 48 games, 6.2 points, 45.9 FG%, 39.7 3P%, 67.6 FT%, 2.6 rebounds, 1.0 assist
Next games — 10 p.m. Friday vs. Boston; 9 p.m. Sunday vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Theo Pinson, Dallas Mavericks guard
Age 27 | 6–5, 212 | fifth NBA season | UNC 2014–18 (4 seasons)
Off Thursday
Season statistics — 36 games, 1.8 points, 32.8 FG%, 34.1 3P%, 81.8 FT, 1.1 rebounds, 0.8 of an assist
Next games — 10:30 Friday at Los Angles Lakers, NBATV; 8 p.m. Monday at Memphis, NBATV
Day’Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets center
Age 21 | 6–9, 265 | second NBA season | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
101–96 Thursday loss vs. Sacramento — Didn’t play (coach’s decision)
Season NBA statistics — 36 games, 4.1 points, 51.6 FG%, 5–9 3FG, 60.7 FT%, 3.8 rebounds, 0.8 of an assist, 0.6 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 — 3:30 Sunday vs. Denver; 7:30 Tuesday vs. Cleveland, NBATV
Coby White, Chicago Bulls guard
Age 23 | 6–4, 195 | fourth NBA season| UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
Off Thursday
Season statistics — 60 games, 8.7 points, 41.7 FG%, 35.9 3P%, 85.0 FT%, 2.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Next games — 8 p.m. Friday vs. Minnesota; 8 p.m. Saturday vs Miami
Bradley free agent
On Feb. 21, Chicago waived Tony Bradley. His season statistics: 12 games, 33 minutes, 19 points, 6–12 FG, 3–5 3FG, 4–4 FT, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
In the G League
Garrison Brooks, Westchester Knicks center
Age 23 | 6–10, 240 | Rookie | UNC 2017–21 (4 seasons)
117–108 Thursday loss vs. Fort Wayne — Didn’t play (hamstring injury)
Season statistics — 37 games, 13.6 points, 62.3 2P FGP%, 0–20 3P, 59.5 FT%, 11.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 of a block, 24 double-doubles
Next games — 3 p.m. Saturday at Motor City; 7 p.m. Monday at Motor City
Justin Jackson, Texas Legends forward
Age 27 | 6–8, 220 | Sixth pro season | UNC 2014–27 (3 seasons)
132–129 Thursday OT win at Delaware — 37 minutes, 32 points, 12–23 FG, 8–14 3FG, 0–1 FT, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 foul, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, +12
Season G League statistics — 10 games, 19.7 points, 41.8 FG%, 39.0 3FG%, 63.2 FT%, 7.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steal
Season NBA statistics (with Boston) — 23 games, 107 minutes, 20 points, 7–27 FG, 5–20 3FG, 17 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 blocks, 4 steals
Next games — 7 p.m. Friday at Capital City; 4:30 Sunday vs. Oklahoma City
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 @nbagleague
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