UNC Basketball: Barnes scores 19, but Kings lose to Harden-less Rockets

Former UNC basketball standout Harrison Barnes goes for 19 points and seven rebounds, but the Sacramento Kings lose to the Harden-less Houston Rockets.

Sacramento Kings small forward Harrison Barnes notched his sixth consecutive double-digit scoring game to start the season, pouring in 19 points against the Houston Rockets on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately for Barnes and the Kings, it simply wasn’t enough to stop the Rockets in a 102-94 loss that came with All-NBA guard James Harden on the bench.

Barnes hit 7-of-13 shots for the game, including 2-of-4 from three-point range and 3-of-5 at the free throw line. He also pulled down seven rebounds — his fifth game this season with at least seven boards — while adding a steal and not a single turnover in a game-high 38 minutes of play.

https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings/status/1345535471556956163

For Barnes, it’s his third game in the Kings’ first six with at least 19 points — he scored 21 against Denver on opening night, and 24 against the Rockets on New Year’s Eve. He’s also hit seven of his last 15 shots from beyond the arc after missing his first six attempts to begin the season.

Houston, who was without Harden due to a right ankle sprain, got 28 points from newly-acquired point guard John Wall. They also got 21 from sharpshooting veteran Eric Gordon and 20 from fourth-year power forward Christian Wood. With the win, the Rockets improve their record to 2-2, and prepare for a Southwest Division matchup with the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.

Barnes and the Kings fall to 3-3 with the loss, but continue to show a level of fight and grit that they didn’t a season ago. They now appear to be a team on the rise in the Western Conference’s ultra-competitive Pacific Division.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on Harrison Barnes, and UNC basketball alumni throughout the NBA.