13 hours Ago
On Wednesday, the Indiana Pacers lost to the Houston Rockets, 130-113. It was pretty much all doom and gloom aside from third-year player Quenton Jackson, who got his first career start and set a career-high with 24 points, which led the team. Before this season, Jackson only played in 12 NBA games over two seasons, so he is raw and practically a rookie, despite being 26 years old.
However, after a disappointing loss, he offered a very mature insight into his game. © Troy Taormina-Imagn Images "It feels good from an individual standpoint," Jackson said of his performance. "I'm more about the team, and the way that we went out there and played today and the way that we lost, I think we need to take a couple more steps in the right direction as a team.
" Jackson, on top of his 24 points, added two steals and a block. He also shot a perfect 9-9 inside the arc, and credits Houston's lackluster defense on his solid outing. The Rockets had center Alperen Sengun guard Jackson to start the game.
Sengun is not the best defender on the roster, and Jackson took it personally. "I thought it was a little disrespectful," he said. "I am new to this league, and everything about this is having to prove yourself.
..I know his feet ain't as fast as mine, so just putting pressure on him at the rim, getting him in foul trouble early, it worked out.
" In the first two minutes of the game, Jackson already drew a foul on Sengun. The Turkish big man had to be subbed out only four minutes into the game after Jackson drew another foul. Sengun would finish with four fouls, half of which were drawn by Jackson.
Related: Is the Tyrese Haliburton Criticism Deserved? The Pacers' next game is on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks in NBA Cup action. Indiana will have a lot to work on, but Jackson has emerged as a solid rotational player amid plenty of injuries to the roster. Related: How Did Tyrese Haliburton Struggle vs.
Rockets?.
