Former Alabama standout scores his first NBA points

Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis tries to get past Matisse Thybulle of the Philadelphia 76ers

Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis tries to get past Matisse Thybulle of the Philadelphia 76ers during an NBA game on Dec. 13, 2022, in Philadelphia.(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Keon Ellis scored his first points as an NBA player during the Sacramento Kings’ 135-115 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

The former Alabama standout dropped in a 26-foot shot for 3 points with 22 seconds to play at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento as the Kings improved to 22-18 for the 2022-23 NBA season.

The 6-foot-6 guard was playing in his fourth NBA regular-season game. In 11 minutes of court time, he also has two rebounds and one assist.

The shot that Ellis made on Wednesday night was similar to his only other NBA shot – a missed 3-pointer from almost the same spot on the court with 49 seconds to play in the Kings’ 123-103 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 13.

Ellis is on a two-way contract with Sacramento, so he also plays for the Stockton Kings, the NBA team’s NBA G League affiliate.

Each NBA team can have two players on two-way contracts, which allows them to be moved between the NBA roster and an NBA G League affiliate without going through waivers. A player on a two-way contract can appear in up to 50 games with the NBA team and receives a single salary of $508,891 covering both teams.

Ellis made his NBA debut on Nov. 17 in Sacramento’s 130-112 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, and he also played in a 126-113 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 7.

With Stockton, Ellis has averaged 15.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals in 18 games.

Last year at Alabama, Ellis averaged 12.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 33 games in the second of his two seasons with the Crimson Tide.

Ellis became the 35th former Alabama player to score in an NBA regular-season game and the second this season.

JD Davison scored his first NBA basket in the Boston Celtics’ 122-104 victory over Sacramento on Nov. 25.

Keon Ellis of the Stockton Kings goes to the basket during an NBA G League Showcase Cup game

Keon Ellis of the Stockton Kings goes to the basket during an NBA G League Showcase Cup game against the G League Ignite on Nov. 30, 2022, at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev.(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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