Brooklyn Nets coach Kevin Ollie had a simple summation of how rookie Noah Clowney played in Wednesday night’s 115-111 victory over the Indiana Pacers: “He got the game ball.”

Clowney has spent most of the 2023-24 season playing for the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League. But on Wednesday night, the former Alabama center provided a look at why Brooklyn selected him in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft.

Against the Pacers, Clowney had 22 points and 10 rebounds as he made 7-of-9 shots, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, in 16:48 on the court.

In his 18th NBA game, Clowney reached career highs in points, rebounds, field goals and 3-point baskets.

“I was just trying to play confident, really,” Clowney said during a TV halftime interview after scoring 14 points in the second quarter. “I’ve had bad nights, and I’ve had good nights. But I try to keep my confidence through it all and play basketball the only way I know how to.”

At 19 years, 264 days old, Clowney became the second-youngest player in franchise history to score 20 points in a game. On Nov. 25, 1979, in the New Jersey Nets’ 112-103 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cliff Robinson scored 22 points at 19 years, 257 days old. Robinson played 27 minutes in the 12th game of his NBA career.

Clowney became the first NBA player to score at least 22 points while spending fewer than 17 minutes on the court since April 10, 2022, when Kevin Love had 32 points in 14:44 of court time in the Cavaliers’ 133-115 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Love sank eight 3-point shots in that game.

The games by Clowney and Love join performances by Philadelphia 76ers center Darryl Dawkins in the 1978-79 season and New York Knicks forward Terry Cummings in the 1997-98 seasons as the only times in the NBA’s past 50 seasons that a player has come off the bench to total at least 22 points and 10 rebounds while playing fewer than 17 minutes.

The only other players as young as Clowney who have games with at least 22 points and 10 rebounds in the NBA this season are Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson II and Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore.

In his only season at Alabama, Clowney averaged 9.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 48.6 percent from the floor, 28.3 percent on 3-pointers and 64.9 percent at the free-throw line.

In 34 games with Long Island this season, Clowney averaged 15.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 52.4 percent from the floor, 32.1 percent on 3-pointers and 73.0 percent at the free-throw line.

In his previous 17 games with Brooklyn this season, Clowney had 52 points and 39 rebounds while averaging 10.9 minutes of court time.

“Just showing the hard work he’s put in just going back-and-forth from the G League to here,” Brooklyn guard Cam Thomas said after Wednesday night’s game. “Now he’s been here a while, so obviously he’s been staying ready. I know about the staying-ready piece, so for him to stay ready and come off the bench to give us 22 and 10, that’s incredible.”

The Nets were eliminated from postseason contention on Wednesday night when the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Detroit Pistons 121-113 to secure the final spot in the Eastern Conference’s play-in tournament.

Brooklyn has five games remaining on its schedule, starting with a home date against the Pistons at 6 p.m. CST Saturday.

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