UNC Basketball: Justin Jackson shines for Thunder in victory over Bucks
Former UNC basketball sharpshooter Justin Jackson led the Oklahoma City Thunder to victory over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Apparently all Justin Jackson needed to show that he can be a difference-maker in Oklahoma City was a few more opportunities and a little more playing time. The former Tar Heel and 2017 national champion is logging just 10 minutes per game more than he did in the month of January, but more than doubling his scoring output.
His sudden rise to stardom for the Thunder is highlighted by season-highs in points in consecutive games. On Friday night, he scored 20 points on a 7-for-11 shooting performance that included a 3-for-5 mark from three-point range and a perfect 3-for-3 at the free throw line.
He topped that on Sunday night against the Bucks when he poured in a team-high 22 points on 9-for-16 shooting overall, and an outstanding 4-for-4 from beyond the arc. He also dished out five assists to just one turnover, and pulled down three rebounds. And it was Jackson’s final three-point dagger of the night from way downtown that secured his team’s victory over the second-place Bucks.
https://twitter.com/okcthunder/status/1361153986519322630
Jackson has notched double-digit scoring performances in four of his last eight games, something he didn’t do once in his first eight games of the season. He’s played at least 27 minutes in six of those games, and 30 or more minutes in three of them. And it appears to be helping his team, as they’ve won three out of their last seven games, with two of the losses coming in overtime games to the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.
With performances like these, there’s little doubt that Jackson’s usage will continue to climb, as will his opportunities to shine for the young Thunder. He and his OKC running mates will take the court again on Tuesday night when they face off with the surging Portland Trail Blazers in a Northwest Division battle.
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