Speaking of Eddie Jones…

Eddie Jones is coming his best outing in nearly three months – a 12-point showing in the Golden State romp. Included was an alley-oop slam from Josh Howard in the third quarter.

“They’re telling me to shoot the ball if I’m open,” Jones said. “I just bring whatever. I enjoy coming off the bench and guys look for me, and first and foremost I try to rebound and play defense. If the shots come, they come. If they don’t, they don’t.”

The above-the-rim highlight drew some good-natured ribbing from his teammates. His play did have an effect on the team.

“I haven’t seen us with that type of emotion,” Avery Johnson said. “The bench is standing up the whole time and I know Eddie Jones had something to do with that because these guys pull for each other. We were physical. If that team talked to us, we talked back. And we had that. I like that focus. I liked that physicality.”

Jones has been working hard to get his weight down and rehab his troublesome knee.

“Eddie Jones hadn’t really done much the whole year, but we’ve been keeping him ready,” Johnson said. “He’s been rehabbing and keeping his weight under control, and then last night he steps up big for us. When those guys aren’t playing, we’ve got to try to keep them ready as much as we can.”