The Golden State Warriors picked up a big 132-126 victory over the Boston Celtics in overtime on Tuesday night, and while everyone is going to pay attention to Stephen Curry’s late game heroics, there was an under-the-radar performance from Trayce Jackson-Davis that may have been even more important for the Warriors along the way.
Jackson-Davis played 29 minutes in this game, and was huge for Golden State (10 PTS, 13 REB, 1 AST, 5-6 FGM) as they overcame the top team in the Eastern Conference. The rookie second-rounder had a huge block on Jaylen Brown in overtime, and led Golden State in plus-minus as they picked up a statement win over Boston.
Trayce Jackson-Davis was passed over by every team in the NBA on draft night, and was selected with one of the final picks of the night by the Warriors at 57th overall. With Draymond Green currently serving an indefinite suspension, Jackson-Davis has had to take on a bigger role for the Warriors, and that role certainly won’t be decreasing after his clutch two-way performance against the Celtics.
On a night where Brandin Podziemski also went out early with an injury, Jackson-Davis’ contributions for the Warriors were huge, and they will continue to look to him to step up as they try to navigate a difficult part of their schedule. It’s been a bit of a rocky start to the season for Golden State, but they proved they still are one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA on Tuesday night, and if they can keep on getting contributions from Jackson-Davis, they could sneak back into championship contention out in the Western Conference.