Bama Central

Former Alabama Basketball Guard Scores NBA Career High in Preseason Win: Roll Call

Your daily briefing on what's going on with Alabama Athletics, including full TV listings.
Henry Sklar|
Houston Rockets guard JD Davison (4) shoots at the basket against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at State Farm Arena.
Houston Rockets guard JD Davison (4) shoots at the basket against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at State Farm Arena. | Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

While it may not be regular season basketball just yet, former Alabama guard JD Davison made a statement in the Houston Rockets’ preseason win over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night.

Davison, entering his fourth year as a pro after three seasons with the Boston Celtics organization, where he primarily played for their G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, logged 22 minutes off the bench in Houston’s 133-115 win. He finished with 17 points and 4 assists, shooting 6-of-9 from the field (66.7 percent) and 5-of-7 from three (71.4).

His highlight of the night came midway through the fourth quarter, when he picked off a pass intended for Vít Krejčí and took it coast-to-coast, finishing with an emphatic dunk on the break.

Davison will likely begin the regular season as a reserve for Houston, a team now led by newly acquired Kevin Durant and former top-20 pick Alperen Şengün, but his strong preseason showing could help him carve out a larger role in a Rockets organization eager to make a leap.

SEC News:

This Weekend's Crimson Tide Schedule:

Friday, Oct. 17

• WTEN — ITA Southern Regional Championships (Auburn, Ala.) — All Day

• XCTF — Crimson Classic (Tuscaloosa, Ala. / Harry Pritchett Running Park) — Men 8:30 a.m. CT / Women 9:20 a.m. CT

• WVB — at Georgia — 6 p.m. CT (SEC Network)

• BB — vs. Lipscomb (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) — 6:30 p.m. CT

• MBB — vs. Florida State (Birmingham, Ala.)

Saturday, Oct. 18

• MGOLF — Fallen Oak Collegiate (Saucier, Miss.)

• FB — vs. Tennessee (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) — 6:30 p.m. CT (ABC)

Sunday, Oct. 19

• MGOLF — Fallen Oak Collegiate (Saucier, Miss.)

• WVB — at South Carolina — 12 p.m. CT

• SB — vs. Itawamba (DH) (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) — 1:30 p.m. CT

• WSOC — vs. Mississippi State (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) — 6 p.m. CT (SEC Network+)

Thursday's Crimson Tide Results:

WBB — vs. Florida State (Birmingham, Ala.)
W, 91–71

WSOC — at No. 11 Arkansas (Fayetteville, Ark.)
L, 1–3

MBB — vs. Florida State (Birmingham, Ala.)
W, 109–105

SEC News:

Did You Notice?

  • Former Alabama safety and current Cincinnati Bengal Jordan Battle intercepted future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers in the Bengals’ 33-31 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football. The victory marked Cincinnati’s third of the season, led by recently acquired quarterback Joe Flacco.
  • Former Alabama basketball player Donta Hall scored eight points on 4-for-4 shooting in Olympiakos’ 95-94 Euroleague win against Maccabi Ra’anana Tel Aviv, which featured this dunk over former top-20 NBA Draft pick Lonnie Walker IV.
  • Alabama men’s basketball defeated Florida State 109–105 in its first preseason scrimmage ahead of the 2025–26 regular season. Sophomore guard Labaron Philon led the Crimson Tide , who scored a career-high 29 points against the Seminoles. Bama Central’s Hunter De Siver was in attendance. Read more from his live blog here.

On This Day in Crimson Tide History:

October 18, 1928: Legendary broadcaster Keith Jackson was born in Roopville, Ga.

October 18, 1986: Running Bobby Humphrey had 217 rushing yards on 27 carries and three touchdowns to lead Alabama to a 56-28 win over Tennessee. He was subsequently named the SEC Player of the Week.

Crimson Tide Quote of the Day:

Oct. 17: “Last year, I could just chuck it as far as I could and it was either out of bounds or no one caught it, and that was the checkdown. It’s real football now.” – Missouri quarterback Drew Lock after facing Alabama

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Henry Sklar
HENRY SKLAR

Henry Sklar is an intern at Alabama Crimson Tide/Bama Central. He previously covered Alabama football and basketball for TideIllustrated.com and was a contributing writer for The Crimson White, focusing on golf and football. He also has extensive experience on social media, including TikTok. He’s lived in six different states, enjoys playing golf and DJing in his free time while majoring in News Media with a concentration in sports media.

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