By R.L. Bynum
It might be time for the Los Angeles Lakers to call up RJ Davis to the NBA.
Davis followed up scoring 30 points in a triple-double on Thursday with a career-high 45 points in only 35 minutes on Saturday in the South Bay Lakers’ dominant 146–104 home victory over the Salt Lake City Stars at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, Calif.
After Pete Nance scored 42 points in a G League game on Jan. 11 for the Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks called him up, and he has played seven games since then. Who knows if the Lakers will make a similar move?
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The 45 points topped his Carolina career-high of 42 points on Feb. 26, 2024, in a 75–71 home win over Miami, when he made 7 of 11 3-point attempts.
Davis, who was +42, was 15 of 22 from the floor and tied his career high with six 3-pointers (on nine attempts) and made all four free-throw attempts while dishing out eight assists and pulling down five rebounds.
South Bay won its fourth consecutive game, leading by 50 at one point in the second half.
Davis has averaged 32 points, six rebounds and eight assists in the last three games. For the season, he’s averaging 19.4 points, shooting 44.7% from the floor, 40.6% from 3-point range and 88.3% at the free-throw line with 4.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game.
Davis has seven games with at least 25 points, with his previous season high being 31 points on Nov. 8 against the Valley Suns. He has three games with six 3-pointers, with the other two being that game against Valley and on Jan. 14 when he scored 28 points against the San Diego Clippers.
Harrison Barnes, San Antonio Spurs forward
Age 34 | 6–7, 225 | 15th season | $8 million salary | UNC 2010–12 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Backup small forward
Team record — 11–2; 1st in Western Conference
Season statistics — 11 games, 6.0 points, 42.6 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 80.0 FT%
Friday — Spurs 123, Warriors 85 (home) | didn’t start: 21:19, 11 points, 4–9 FG, 3–6 3FG, 0 FT, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 0 plus/minus, 5.9 game score
Next game — 5 p.m. Sunday at Utah
Leaky Black, Sacramento Kings forward
Age 27 | 6–6, 209 | 4th pro season | $678,882 salary (2-way contract) | UNC 2018–23 (5 seasons)
Season NBA statistics — 6 games, 1 start, 5.8 points, 48.0 FG%, 45.5 3P%, 1–2 FT, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals
Team record — 1–11; 14th in Western Conference
Season NBA statistics — 7 games, 1 start, 5.0 points, 41.4 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 50.0 FT%, 3.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals
Friday — Trail Blazers 120, Kings 107 (home) | didn’t start: 11:47, 0 points, 0–2 FG, 0–0 3FG, 0 FT, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 1 foul, −11
Next game — 9 p.m. Sunday vs. Oklahoma City
Tony Bradley, Utah Jazz center
Age 28 | 6–10, 248 | 9th NBA season | $2.44 million salary | UNC 2016–17 (1 season)
Roster situation — Third-string center
Team record — 1–12; 15th in Western Conference
Season statistics — 6 games, 8 points, 3–6 FG, 2–2 FT, 16 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
Friday — Rockets 125, Jazz 118 (road) | didn’t start: 12:28, 0 points, 0–1 FG, 0 FT, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 turnovers, 4 fouls, −5, 0.3 game score
Next game — 5 p.m. Sunday vs. San Antonio
Cameron Johnson, Denver Nuggets forward
Age 30 | 6–8, 210 | 8th season | $22.5 million salary | UNC 2017–19 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting small forward ahead of DeMar DeRozan
Team record — 6–4; 9th in Western Conference
Season statistics — 7 games, 12.1 points, 50.0 FG%, 43.2 3P%, 5–8 FT, 3.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Wednesday — Nuggets 123, Grizzlies 118 (road) | 23 points, 9–15 FG, 4–7 3FG, 1–1 FT, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 foul, +3, 20.8 game score
Next game — 7 p.m. Saturday at New Orleans
Walker Kessler, Los Angeles Lakers center
Age 25 | 7–2, 245 | 5th season | $30.11 million salary | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting center ahead of Kevon Looney
Team record — 11–2; 2nd in Western Conference
Season statistics — 13 games, 14.5 points, 67.5 FG%, 61.4 FT%, 10.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 2.2 blocks
Wednesday — Lakers 123, Bucks 112 (road) | started: 29:13, 10 points, 5–10 FG, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, +19, 11.1 game score (double-double)
Next game — 4 p.m. Sunday at Phoenix
Drake Powell, Brooklyn Nets forward
Age 21 | 6–5, 195 | 2nd season | $3.54 million salary | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Season NBA statistics — 4 games, 8 points, 3–4 FG, 1–2 3FG, 1–4 FT, 4 rebounds, 6 assists
Team record — 3–8; 13th in Eastern Conference
Sunday — Mavericks 130, Nets 93 (road) | didn’t start: 9:25, 2 points, 1–2 FG, 0–1 3FG, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, -8
Wednesday — Nets 145, Pelicans 111 (road) | 6 points, 2–2 FG, 1–1 3FG, 1–2 FT, 1 foul, -4, 4.6 game score
Next game — 8 p.m. Saturday at Memphis
Day’Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets center
Age 24 | 6–10, 265 | 6th season | $10 million salary | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting center ahead of Moritz Wagner
Team record — 3–8; 13th in Eastern Conference
Season statistics — 11 games, 8.2 points, 52.5 FG%, 35.7 3P%, 72.4 FT%, 6.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 blocks
Wednesday — Nets 145, Pelicans 111 (road) | 15 points, 5–6 FG, 2–3 3FG, 3–4 FT, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 4 blocks, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, +20, 18.9 game score
Next game — 8 p.m. Saturday at Memphis
Coby White, Charlotte Hornets guard
Age 26 | 6–4, 210 | 8th season | $26.81 million salary | UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting point guard ahead of Dennis Schröder
Team record — 4–8; 11th in Eastern Conference
Season statistics — 5 games, 9.8 points, 31.5 FG%, 14.8 3P%, 11–12 FT, 2.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 3.0 turnovers
Thursday — Suns 101, Hornets 96 (road) | started: 19:56, season-high 21 points, 8–16 FG, 2–7 3FG, 3–3 FT, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers, 1 foul, −2, 12.0 game score
Next game — 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Los Angeles Clippers
Out at least until early December
Chicago Bulls forward Caleb Wilson | had surgery Nov. 12 to repair fractured right hand | season statistics: 10 games, 18.9 points, 42.0 FG%, 32.4 3P%, 73.2 FT%, 6.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.9 of a block
Likely out for season
Atlanta Hawks center Henri Veesaar | tore right ACL on Sept. 15
RJ Davis, Austin Spurs guard
Age 25 | 6–0, 182 | 2nd pro season | $678,882 salary (2-way contract) | UNC 2020–25 (5 seasons)
G League statistics last season (South Bay Lakers) — 49 games, 18.4 points, 46.8 FG%, 42.4 3P%, 86.4 FT%, 3.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists
Preseason NBA statistics — 3 games, 8.8 minutes, 7 points, 27.3 FG%, 1–4 3FG, 0–2 FT, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block
Season statistics — 2 games, 20.0 points, 45.8 FG%, 50.0 3P%, 100 FT%, 1.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 steals
Sunday — Austin Spurs 117, Laketown Squadron 110 (home) | didn’t start: 21 points, 7–16 FG, 2–3 3FG, 3–3 FT, 2 rebounds, 1 foul, 3 steals, 1 block, +5
Next game— 4 p.m. Sunday vs. Memphis Hustle
Harrison Ingram, Salt Lake City Stars forward
Age 23 | 6–6, 230 | 3rd pro season | $678,882 salary (2-way contract) | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
G League statistics last season (Austin) — 40 games, 16.6 points, 49.2 FG%, 34.0 3P%, 62.6 FT%, 12.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists
NBA statistics last season (Spurs) — 7 games, 1.6 points, 83.3 FG%, 1–1 3P
Preseason NBA statistics — 4 games, 7.9 minutes, 19 points, 53.3 FG%, 1–3 3FG, 2–2 FT, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block
Season statistics — 3 games, 17.0 points, 48.8 FG%, 3–9 3PFG, 3–10 FT, 12.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.7 turnovers, 2.2 steals
Tuesday — Rip City Remix 108, Salt Lake City Stars 93 (home) | started: 35 minutes, 12 points, 5–12 FG, 0–2 3FG, 1–4 FT, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 fouls, 3 steals, 3 turnovers, 1 block, -3
Wednesday — Salt Lake City Stars 123, Rip City Remix 102 (home) | started: 25 points, 10–14 FG, 3–4 3FG, 1–2 FT, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, team-high +27
Next game — 9 p.m. Monday at Valley Suns
Caleb Love, Delaware Blue Coats guard
Age 25 | 6–3, 212 | 2nd pro season | $678,882 salary (2-way contract) | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
NBA season statistics last season — 49 games (limited to 50 under his two-way contract), 10.4 points, 38.8 FG%, 31.8 3P%, 73.5 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists
G League statistics last season — 10 games, 24.7 points, 43.3 FG%, 23.5 3P%, 75.8 FT%, 4.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 3.6 turnovers
Preseason NBA statistics — 4 games, 14.5 minutes, 5.5 points, 25.9 FG%, 20.0 3P%, 55.6 FT%, 1.0 rebound, 3.0 assists, 0.5 of a block
Season NBA statistics — 1 game, 30 seconds, no statistics
Saturday’s opener — Delaware Blue Coats 147, Capital City Go-Go 122 (home) | not active for the game
Next game — 7 p.m. Friday vs. Maine Celtics
Pete Nance, Wisconsin Herd center
Age 26 | 6–9, 225 | 4th season | $678,882 salary (2-way contract) | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
G League statistics last season — 12 games, 19.0 points, 53.7 FG%, 40.3 3P%, 78.9 FT%, 8.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.1 blocks
NBA statistics last season — 47 games, 5.4 points, 51.5 FG%, 42.0 3P%, 36.4 FT%, 2.7 rebounds, 1.0 assist
Preseason NBA statistics — 4 games, 13.0 minutes, 4.0 points, 35.7 FG%, 30.0 3P%, 75.0 FT%, 3.2 rebounds
Season statistics— 2 games, 13.0 points, 52.6 FG%, 36.4 3P%, 2–2 FT, 6.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists
Sunday — Wisconsin Herd 142, Iowa Wolves 130 (road) | started: 34 minutes, 14 points, 5–12 FG, 3–9 3FG, 1–1 FT, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 fouls, +16
Wednesday in NBA (season NBA debut) — Lakers 123, Bucks 112 (home) | 4:12, 3 points, 1–2 FG, 0–1 3FG, 1–2 FT, 1 rebound, 1 assist, +3
Next game — 4 p.m. Sunday at Windy City Bulls
Tyler Nickel, Westchester Knicks forward
Age 23 | 6–7, 220 | rookie season | $678,882 salary (2-way contract) | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Statistics last season (Vanderbilt) — 36 games, 36 starts, 13.5 points, 44.5 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 84.7 FT%, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 of a steal
Preseason NBA statistics — 4 games, 21.1 minutes, 16 points, 4–18 FG, 2–14 3FG, 6–7 FT, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
Season statistics— 2 games, 11.5 points, 34.8 FG%, 35.0 3P%, 5.0reboundsm, 4.0 assists, 2.0 steals
Sunday — Maine Celtics 98, Westchester Knicks 93 (road) | started: 38 minutes, 8 points, 3–11 FG, 2–10 3FG, 5 rebounds, 4 assists 3 fouls, 3 steals, 7 turnovers, 1 block, -11
Next game — 3 p.m. Saturday vs. Greensboro Swarm, NBATV
Cormac Ryan, Wisconsin Herd guard
Age 28 | 6–5, 205 | 3rd season | $680,984 salary (2-way contract) | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
G League statistics last season — 31 games, 20.9 points, 48.8 FG%, 42.2 3P%, 89.0 FT%, 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals
NBA statistics last season — 11 games, 14.3 points, 52.0 FG%, 45.8 3P%, 92.3 FT%, 2.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steal
Preseason NBA statistics — 3 games, 15.9 minutes, 6.7 points, 46.2 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 57.1 FT%, 3.7 rebounds, 0.7 of a steal
Season statistics— 2 games, 29.5 points, 75.9 FG%, 88.9 3FG%, 80.0 FT%, 2.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.5 turnovers, 2.0 steals
Sunday — Wisconsin Herd 142, Iowa Wolves 130 (road) | started: 30 minutes, 28 points, 10–13 FG, 1–2 3FG, 4–5 FT, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 fouls, 3 steals, 2 turnovers, 1 block, -1
Next game — 4 p.m. Sunday at Windy City Bulls
Note that G League’s rule allows one made free throw to count for two or three points, which is why totals sometimes don’t appear to add up.
Photos via @southbaylakers
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