By R.L. Bynum
Cole Anthony didn’t want anything to do with his Orlando Magic losing a seventh consecutive game since he took over as the starting point guard.
He shot down that possibility at the buzzer.
The Magic trailed host Minnesota by two points with 3.7 seconds left when he retrieved a Timberwolves miss and headed down court. Anthony made an off-balance 3-pointer from the right wing at the buzzer to give Orlando a 97–96 victory Wednesday night, his second big shot in the fourth quarter, to end the Magic’s six-game skid.
“I’m like, ‘All right, I probably won’t be able to get to the rim, but I can shoot this 3,” Anthony said. “It felt good. I didn’t really see the shot after I shot it. I saw it go through the net and that was about it.
“Let’s keep this going,” he said. “My confidence may have been shaken with these last couple of games with the losing. Losing never feels good. That shot definitely gave me confidence.”
Anthony finished with 13 points on 5 of 7 shooting, including making all three 3-point attempts, seven rebounds, three assists and one turnover. He put up a 12.8 game score and two of his best three game scores have come in the last three games after putting up a season-high 15.8 Saturday at Brooklyn.
For Minnesota in that game, Ed Davis had two points, six rebounds and three assists in 18 minutes.
Danny Green’s streak of good games continued as he had 12 points on four 3-pointers with six rebounds in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 117–109 home win over the Boston Celtics. Tony Bradley didn’t play for the Sixers.
In Detroit’s 123–115 loss at Atlanta, Wayne Ellington had his second consecutive good game. He followed up a 24-point, 16.8 game score game at Miami on Monday with a 16-point, 12.0 game score effort against the Hawks. He’s made 14 of his last 25 3-point field-goal attempts.
In his second consecutive start, Cameron Johnson struggled with his shot. In the Phoenix Suns’ 109–103 win at Houston, he scored eight points on 3 of 9 shooting and is 8 of 28 from 3-point range in the last four games. He did have three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block, though.
After playing consistently in the first 13 games, Harrison Barnes had had consecutive bad games. After being held to seven points against New Orleans on Sunday, he had only five points and a 4.1 game score in Wednesday’s 115–96 road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
How Tar Heels did Wednesday and what’s ahead
Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic guard
97–96 win at Minnesota — Started; 28 minutes, 13 points, 5–7 FG, 3–3 3FG, 0–0 FT, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, +10, 12.8 game score
Season statistics — 15 games, 10.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 33.7FG%, 26.9%3P, 88.2FT
Up next — Friday at Indiana, 7 p.m.; Sunday vs. Charlotte, 6 p.m., FSS
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings guard
115–96 loss at Los Angeles Clippers — Started; 32 minutes, 5 points, 2–6 FG, 1–3 3FG, 0–0 FT, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, -15, 4.1 game score
Season statistics — 15 games, 15.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 48.5FG%, 39.6%3P, 81.5FT%
Up next — Friday vs. New York, 10 p.m.; Sunday at Memphis, 8 p.m.
Tony Bradley, Philadelphia Sixers center/forward
117–109 win vs. Boston — Didn’t play
Season statistics — 5 games, 4.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 0.6 of an assist, 47.8 FG%, 0–0 3FG, 1–3 FT
Up next — Friday vs. Boston, 7:30 p.m., ESPN; Saturday at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Reggie Bullock, New York Knicks guard/forward
No game
Season statistics — 13 games, 8.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 38.7FG%, 31.7%3P, 70.0FT%
Up next — Thursday at Golden State, 10 p.m.; Friday at Sacramento, 10 p.m.
Ed Davis, Minnesota Timberwolves center/forward
97–96 loss vs. Orlando — 18 minutes, 2 points, 1–1 FG, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, +3, 3.7 game score
Season statistics — 10 games, 2.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 0.9 of an assist, 40.0FG%, 0–0 3FG, 83.3FT%
Up next — Friday vs. Atlanta, 8 p.m.; Saturday vs. Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Wayne Ellington, Detroit Pistons guard
123–115 loss at Atlanta — Started; 33 minutes, 16 points, 5–11 FG, 4–9 3FG, 2–3 FT, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover, -11, 12.0 game score
Season statistics — 9 games, 10.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.9 of an assist, 49.3FG%, 46.2 3P%, 75.0FTG%
Up next — Friday vs. Houston, 7 p.m.; Saturday vs. Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Danny Green, Philadelphia 76ers guard
117–109 win vs. Boston — Started; 29 minutes, 12 points, 4–8 FG, 4–8 3FG, 0–0 FT, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, +17, 9.1 game score
Season statistics — 15 games, 9.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 38.2FG%, 38.0%3P 72.7FT%
Up next — Friday vs. Boston, 7:30 p.m., ESPN; Saturday at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Justin Jackson, Oklahoma City Thunder forward
No game
Season statistics — 5 games, 5.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, 0.6 of an assist, 45.5FG%, 21.4%3P, 75.0FT%
Up next — Friday at Los Angeles Clippers, 10 p.m.; Sunday at Los Angeles Clippers, 4 p.m.
Cameron Johnson, Phoenix Suns wing
109–103 win at Houston — Started; 28 minutes, 8 points, 3–9 FG, 2–7 3FG, 0–0 FT, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers, +9, 6.6 game score
Season statistics — 13 games, 11.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 45.8FG%, 37.6%3P, 85.7FT%
Up next — Friday vs. Denver, 10 p.m., ESPN; Saturday vs. Denver, 9 p.m.
Nassir Little, Portland Blazers forward/guard
Game vs. Memphis postponed
Season statistics — 4 games, 1.5 points, 1.8 rebound, 0 assists, 2–5 FG, 1–2 3FG, 1–2 FT
Up next — Friday vs. Memphis, 10 p.m.; Sunday vs. New York, 9 p.m.
Theo Pinson, New York Knicks guard/forward
No game
Season statistics — 6 games, 0 points, 0–5 FG, 0–5 3FG, 1 rebound
Up next — Thursday at Golden State, 10 p.m.; Friday at Sacramento, 10 p.m.
Coby White, Chicago Bulls point guard
No game
Season statistics — 14 games, 15.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 40.3FG%, 35.1%3P, 84.4 FT
Up next — Friday at Charlotte, 7 p.m., FSS; Saturday vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 8 p.m.
What is a game score? Here is an exclamation.
tarheeltribune.com 
1 Comment