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| UCLA's Jordan Adams (left) drives past Alabama's Jimmie Taylor on Saurday at Pauley Pavilion. STEPHEN DUNN, GETTY IMAGES |
Tony Parker had UCLA fans chanting his name late in Saturday’s game against Alabama.
In the final minute against Alabama, Parker had a block, two rebounds and made both of his free throws to give UCLA a 75-67 victory in the final tuneup at Pauley Pavilion before Pac-12 play begins.
Parker, who had a UCLA-best 16 points off the bench, was a 43 percent free-throw shooter before Saturday. After he made both free throws with 56 seconds left, giving UCLA a 69-67 lead it never lost, he said he winked at his teammates on the bench.
“That was definitely a good (win),” Parker said. “We needed another out-of-conference win. I had to make plays at the end of the game. The block was big and the two free throws were big.”
Parker blocked the shot of Retin Obasohan, and UCLA’s Norman Powell was fouled and made two free throws with 31 seconds left for a 73-67 lead to seal the victory.
The Bruins (11-2) improved to 9-0 at home in front of an announced crowd of 9,061.
Parker’s play was critical, especially since Alabama guard Trevor Releford had taken over the game. Releford didn’t start due to a disciplinary issue, but he scored a season-high 34 points. He made a 3-pointer from the right wing and fell down, then got up to make a steal and uncontested layup on the other end to tie the game at 67 with 1:34 left.
And then Parker took over.
Releford had 19 of his 34 points in the second half but missed a layup with 43 seconds left, and Parker was there for the big defensive rebound.
UCLA guard Kyle Anderson said he had confidence Parker would make the free throws, and he did, but Anderson was a tough critic of Parker’s rebounding ability, despite snagging the biggest one of the game.
“He played very well down the stretch, I must admit,” said UCLA guard Kyle Anderson. “I’m still mad at him for five rebounds. That’s unacceptable. He played well down the stretch and was a big key to our win, but five rebounds is unacceptable for him.”
Anderson probably was trying to motivate Parker, but Parker made the plays that gave UCLA an important victory and helped the Bruins rally from their first halftime deficit — 34-33. Parker played only eight minutes in the first half and had all five of his rebounds in the second half.
The Bruins played much better on offense in the second half — even though Anderson was on the bench with cramps in his right calf muscle for a five-minute stretch.
This was the final game before UCLA begins its Pac-12 schedule by hosting USC on Jan. 5.
“We needed this,” UCLA coach Steve Alford said he told his team at halftime. “We’re getting ready for the conference season and for January, February and March. We were tied with Duke at the half and up at Missouri (in losses). We needed someone to give us a good shot.
“Drexel gave us that at the beginning of the year, but it had been a long time at home since we’ve had that. I thought we grew and matured a lot. We showed a lot of toughness the last five minutes.”
UCLA racked up a nice pre-conference schedule in victories, except for games against its toughest opponents — Missouri and Duke.
The Bruins were outrebounded by Alabama 17-11 in the first half and missed plenty of layups in transition. They also frittered away a 20-9 early lead.
UCLA went on a 9-0 run midway through the second half to take a 48-43 lead.
Alabama had a tough go of it, losing seven of its 12 games, but it has been against a tough schedule. The Crimson Tide has lost plenty of close games, including one to undefeated and 10th-ranked Wichita State and a 10-point loss to No. 9 Duke.
The previous time the teams played, Mark Gottfried (a former UCLA assistant coach) was Alabama’s coach and UCLA won in the second round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament. UCLA made the championship game that year, losing to Florida. Parker had the chance to see his family in New York recently when UCLA played Duke at Madison Square Garden, so he didn’t go home for Christmas for two days. He said he was working with Bryce and Kory Alford on free throws over the break.
It seems he found his shooting touch at the free-throw line, where he made 4 of 5 free throws.
“That’s (been weighing) big on me,” Parker said. “I thought I was a better free-throw throw shooter. I keep shooting them in practice. It’s big for me and my game because I will get fouled a lot.”
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