MACC27004393

The defense was always the calling card — 1.8 steals a night, safe hands at 1 turnovers — but Game 021 finally showed the other end waking up: 20 points on 8-of-13, by far his best scoring night, in a two-point win where every bucket mattered. The season efficiency still needs real work — 48.1% overall and 47.1% from three both live under the league's bars — and at 12.6 a game the scoring is streaky rather than steady. But a 3-2 record and a real 20-point night on the resume changes the conversation: the two-way role player this profile always projected is starting to show up in the box score, not just the film.