BBNBA: Keion Brooks puts up career highs, Davis's game-winner, several 'Cats score 30

College basketball has center stage right now in the sports world, and for good reason. The NBA is in the awkward final week or two of its regular season which is probably a couple of weeks too long anyway. Some teams are fighting for a better spot in playoff seeding, while others are playing for a better spot in the lottery. For the latter, that leads to two-way players getting more run and an unlikely BBNBA member took advantage of exactly that.

Keion Brooks, who I will always remember at Kentucky for going off at Phog Allen Fieldhouse and beating Kansas, the eventual National Champions in 2022. After two solid years at Washington and a solid stint in the G-League, Brooks earned a two-way contract with the New Orleans Pelicans and is making his presence felt in the NBA.

Brooks has played in the Pels’ last seven games and started two of them. He is averaging 8.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per contest. He erupted for career-highs in nearly every statistical category in a rare New Orleans win last week with 17 points, eight rebounds, three blocks, and two steals against the Charlotte Hornets.

Even though he transferred out, it’s great to see the former ‘Cat get his flowers in the NBA.

Anthony Davis knocks down game-winner in final seconds for Dallas

The Anthony Davis era in Dallas did not exactly get off to an eyebrow-raising start. Davis went down in his very first game with an adductor strain and missed the next several weeks. However, the only player from Kentucky’s 2012 national championship team remaining in the NBA is making up for lost time as he hit a tough game-winning shot for the Mavs this week against the Hawks.

With the game tied at 118, Davis hit a tough fallaway one-handed runner as he went to the ground.

It was a great cap to a monster game, as Davis scored 34 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and had five blocks. The Luka trade will still go down as one of the biggest, most puzzling trades in NBA history, but Anthony Davis is still him.

Other BBNBA Notes:

• Karl-Anthony Towns scored 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Knicks’ win over the Hawks on Saturday. New York has put together a very likable, not to mention a very good team this season as they look to make a deep playoff run.
• Bam Adebayo hasn’t had the season he normally does, but the former ‘Cat did put up 31 points and in the Miami overtime victory over the Bucks on Saturday. He also had 12 boards. Bam’s scoring outburst came at a good time with Tyler Herro sitting out due to a thigh contusion. Herro, did, however, score 35 against the Grizzlies on Thursday.
• Devin Booker did Devin Booker things this week, scoring 37 points against the Celtics, though the Suns were blown out. Earlier in the week, he scored 39 against the Bucks with similar team results. There probably isn’t a more disappointing team in the NBA than Phoenix, who, despite having two of the most dynamic scorers on Earth, can’t string together wins.