The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Just days after Charlotte Hornets rookie forward Kai Jones made an NBA milestone with his first three-point field goal, he was back in the G-League affiliate Greensboro Swarm with another dominant performance.

Jones finished with 13 points, a game-high 17 rebounds, and a game-high three blocked shots in the Swarm’s 115-108 win over the Wisconsin Herd on January 29. He shot 6-7 from the field and 1-2 from three-point range in 33 minutes.

Jones continues a recent productive stretch in the G-League this month after he posted 17 points, made 3-6 three-point field goals, and added four blocks in a 116-109 loss to the Capital City Go-Gos on January 15.

In four G-League regular season games in 2022, Jones is averaging 13.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.8 blocks per game while shooting 58 percent from the field.

The Swarm tipped off the regular season on January 7 following the Showcase Cup portion of the NBA G League schedule.

The first 12 games of the season came against regional, divisional opponents with the top finisher in each pod playing in the Showcase Cup – single-elimination championship bracket.

The Swarm did not qualify for the tournament but split a pair of games at the AT&T NBA G League Winter Showcase in Las Vegas. Including the games at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, the Swarm completed its first 14 games with a 4-10 record. Jones finished with 11 points, six rebounds and a team-high three blocks in 27 minutes of a 113- 103 loss to the Iowa Wolves at the AT&T Showcase. With the Hornets, Jones made his first three-point field goal of his NBA career in the Hornets’ 158-126 win over the Indiana Pacers on January 26 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In November, Jones scored the first points of his NBA career in the Hornets’ 133- 115 November 26 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The No.19 pick in last June’s Draft, Jones continues to move back and forth between the Hornets (16 appearances) and the Swarm (22 appearances).