NBA Notes: Pacers, Jay Huff, Kings, Domantas Sabonis, Heat

Pacers

It finally clicked in a big way for Pacers center Jay Huff.

Huff delivered a career night in Friday’s win over New Orleans, pouring in 29 points on 13-of-17 shooting while adding nine rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in 29 minutes, as relayed by The Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak.

Teammates have seen it coming.

“He’s getting better just at understanding where he needs to be,” Pascal Siakam said. “He’s a shooter, so sometimes I think he forgets that he’s seven feet. Get down there, get some of those dunks.”

Huff’s season did not start this way. Through December, he averaged just 7.8 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting under 30 percent from three. Since the calendar flipped, the 27-year-old has found rhythm, averaging 13.4 points on better than 66 percent shooting over the past eight games.

“There’s growth with his connection with his teammates,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s feeling the game better and better.”

Defense has never been the question. Huff, a former G League Defensive Player of the Year, ranks second in the NBA in blocks per game among qualifiers.

Kings

Kings big man Domantas Sabonis returned Friday after missing 27 games with a partially torn meniscus.

Coming off the bench, Sabonis posted 13 points, six rebounds, and five assists in a win over Washington.

“His energy was good,” coach Doug Christie said, via Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “He ran the floor well. He looked really good.”

Sabonis kept it simple. “You really miss it when you’re gone for so long,” he said.

Heat

The patience is thinning with Heat big man Kel’el Ware.

Ware was benched in the second half of Thursday’s loss to Boston, and coach Erik Spoelstra did not sugarcoat it.

“He was stacking good days,” Spoelstra said, via Anthiony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “Now he’s stacking days in the wrong direction.”

Former Heat captain Udonis Haslem echoed the message during a Prime Video broadcast.

“Every time you step on the court, make your minutes impactful,” Haslem said. “Make the coaches want to play you more.”

Right now, that part remains unresolved.