SEATTLE — UCLA led by nine with just over seven minutes to play, and Jordan Adams was all smiles.
The sophomore guard did so in the most unexpected of places: While getting cramps worked out of his calves and tightness wringed out of his hamstrings and quadriceps by a team trainer.
Adams took a few long swigs of Powerade, watching his teammates on the floor, and couldn’t help but reveal a half-beam, half-grimace. Perhaps he realized, as UCLA started to pull away in what became a 91-82 victory over Washington, that the only thing that could stop him Thursday night was his own body. And maybe having to guard one of the most prolific scorers in the Pac-12.
“Chasing C.J. Wilcox all game,” said an ice-bandaged Adams when asked about what led to the missed floor time. “That’ll do that to you. I just got a little cramp.”
His last field goal came on a fastbreak layup with 8:41 to play, yet Adams still finished with a career-high 31 points. He became just the 50th UCLA player to score 1,000 or more career points and recorded two steals to become the school’s single-season record holder with 83.
Of greater relevance is the fact that he scored 20 points or more in each of the two games following a one-game suspension for a violation of team rules. In short, he is once again scoring at will and refusing to be denied at the rim, much like the 2012-2013 Adams that surged to lead UCLA to the Pac-12 tournament final against Oregon.
“He was terrific,” said coach Steve Alford. “He’s really moving without the ball extremely well. He’s cutting extremely hard.”
With seven minutes still to play and a brief lull in offense after Adams showed his mortality, UCLA put itself in the extremely hard spot of having to figure out how to beat Washington with a different drive-the-lane presence.
That’s where freshman guard Zach LaVine came in.
When the Bruins trudged into the locker room at halftime, trailing the Huskies 45-41, with a rather sparse Alaska Airlines Arena crowd on its feet, it was clear LaVine was taking the brunt of it.
The Bothell, Wash., High School alum scored just three first-half points on one-of-four shooting and weathered chants of “traitor” when he first checked into the game with 13:24 to play.
But traitors have a tendency of turning and striking when it hurts the most. LaVine scored 14 points in the final 4:39 and officially put the game out of reach with 1:24 to play, guiding in a layup and drawing a foul to give UCLA (23-7, 12-5 Pac-12) a 10-point advantage.
Following his on-court exclamation point, LaVine had one final, playful jab to deliver to the Washington fans that very vocally rolled up his welcome mat.
“I was happy, I just got an and-one and was like, ‘Y’all remember me?’ It was just a little having fun with the crowd,” said LaVine, who was second among UCLA’s five double-figure scorers with 14 points. “It’s still just a basketball game. It’s just the fun of the sport. I don’t get mad or anything. I think it’s hilarious sometimes.”
After the game, Alford commended LaVine’s ability to diversify his offensive game beyond jump-shooting as well as his defense’s ability to get key second-half stops after allowing Washington (16-14, 8-9) to shoot 58.8 percent in the first half.
During a 30-second timeout after LaVine’s re-acquaintance with old friends, however, Alford stepped toward the freshman guard and pointed at his own two eyes, reminding LaVine where the real game was being played.
“Don’t pay any attention to fans,” Alford said after the game. “It’s what happens between that 94 and 50. Do all your talking right there.”
UCLA will hope to make at least one form of chatter continue as the Bruins close out the regular season against the Washington State Cougars on Saturday night.