‘An ultra competitor’: Nick Smith Jr. scores 21 in Greensboro Swarm’s last-second win

Amari Bailey remembers Nick Smith Jr. wanting nothing more than to win.

Bailey was roommates with Smith, the 27th overall pick in last year’s NBA draft, when they played together at both Team USA’s training camp and the Jordan Brand Classic.

The two have reunited in the Charlotte Hornets’ organization — they were both selected by the team in last year’s NBA Draft. Smith has appeared in eight games for the Hornets, and Tuesday was the first time he suited up alongside Bailey in Greensboro.

They were catalysts in the Swarm’s hard-fought, 105-104 buzzer-beater victory over the Capital City Go-Go. Bailey led all scorers with 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting, and Smith finished with a 21-point performance that included a 5-of-9 mark from behind the arc.

“He was super aggressive,” Bailey told The Observer postgame. “We all trusted Nick to score the ball, really just be himself. We got a small glimpse of that in the second half of what he’s able to do once that ball is falling.”

With two minutes left in Tuesday morning’s back-and-forth game before a raucous youth crowd on “field trip day,” Smith nailed a 3-pointer that gave Greensboro a 100-99 advantage.

After a slow start, Smith collected eight points in the third quarter, during which he delivered a strong bounce pass that set up a dunk from center Nathan Mensah. Smith heated up during the final quarter and finished with 21 points, three assists and three rebounds.

“He played a great, collective game,” Bailey said. “If we rebound and push the ball, I don’t think a lot of teams can stay in front of us.”

The Jacksonville, Arkansas, native was well-known in basketball circles coming out of high school. A five-star recruit, he joined the Razorbacks as 247Sports’ No. 1 overall recruit in the 2022 class. He’d been AAU teammates with Brandon Miller for Brad Beal Elite in high school.

But after an injury-hampered season at Arkansas, where he averaged 12.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, Smith fell toward the bottom of the first round.

Smith made himself known quickly after he was drafted, making some headlines after bursting into the Summer League with a 33-point performance in an exhibition game against Portland. He’s seen his share of time in his eight games with the Hornets, scoring a career-best nine points in their win over Brooklyn on Nov. 30. Tuesday was his first game with Greensboro.

“He’s an ultra competitor,” Bailey said. “I know Nick very well. He wants nothing more than to win.”