By R.L. Bynum
It was a good night to be a UNC alum with an open shot outside of the 3-point arc, and it was the best night of Cole Anthony’s short NBA career.
Three Tar Heels were a collective 12 for 18 (67%) from 3-point range on Monday night — the Detroit Pistons’ Wayne Ellington (6 of 9), Anthony (4 of 5) and the Philadelphia 76ers’ Danny Green (2 of 4).
The best scoring night, though, belonged to Anthony, who collected season-high 21 points as host Orlando avenged a loss to the Charlotte Hornets a night earlier with a 117–108 victory.
Anthony’s previous best of three 3-pointers came Wednesday at Minnesota. Of course, one of those 3-pointers that night for the rookie was a buzzer-beating game-winner.
Anthony’s 14.0 game score was his second-highest this season.
Last season at Carolina, he did better than that twice — with six 3-pointers in the opening-game win over Notre Dame and seven in the Feb. 29 victory at Syracuse — but made 80% of his attempts only once: when, like Monday, he also went 4 of 5. That was in a March 3 home win over Wake Forest.
The only big negative for him was the three assists against three turnovers. Anthony also got called for a questionable flagrant-one foul in the last two minutes of the game when he inadvertently slapped Cody Zeller in the face.
Ellington scored 20 points, put up a season-high game score of 17.1 and continued an incredible streak of deadly 3-point shooting that has extended to six games. When the ball has left his hands, he’s been almost automatic … kind of like a Monday night in Detroit when he made all three attempts in Carolina’s 89–72 NCAA final victory over Michigan State.
Fast-forward to another Monday night in Detroit during the Pistons’ 109–104 victory over the Sixers, he made 6 of 9 3-point attempts and has hit 30 of 50 in the last six games. Green, who made 2 of 3 3-point attempts in that NCAA final, connected on 2 of 4 Monday but only scored six points and his team’s three-game win streak ended.
Ellington’s 27 3-pointers in the last five games broke the Pistons franchise record previously held by Chucky Atkins for 3s in a five-game span.
Wayne Ellington’s 3-point shooting streak
| Date | Opponent | Shooting | Pct. |
| Jan. 16 | at Miami | 3 of 5 | 60% |
| Jan. 18 | at Miami | 7 of 11 | 64% |
| Wednesday | at Atlanta | 4 of 9 | 44% |
| Friday | vs. Houston | 6 of 10 | 60% |
| Saturday | vs. Philadelphia | 4 of 6 | 67% |
| Monday | vs. Philadelphia | 6 of 9 | 67% |
| 6-game total | 30 of 50 | 60% |
After the game, Detroit coach Dwane Casey said that Ellington is in the same class as Dirk Nowitzki and Ray Allen as far as shooting touch for players he has coached.
Also with a good night in Detroit was the Sixers’ Tony Bradley, who scored a season-high 12 points to go with nine rebounds. That was his best scoring game since hitting 15 for the Utah Jazz against Sacramento on Aug. 7. Bradley’s game score of 13.8 was his second-highest this season.
It was an off night for Coby White in the Chicago Bulls’ 119–103 home loss to the Boston Celtics. In a season-low 23 minutes, 59 seconds, he had five points, one assist and two turnovers. His -0.3 game score was a season-low.
In Oklahoma City’s 125–122 win at Portland, Justin Jackson scored six points in 16 minutes for the Thunder and Nassir Little scored four in 22 minutes for the Trail Blazers.
Reggie Bullock, who missed Sunday’s New York game with a neck strain, has already been ruled out for Tuesday night’s game at Utah. That is the only one of the three NBA games Tuesday night that involves a UNC alum.
How Tar Heels did Monday, what’s ahead
Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic guard
117–108 win vs. Charlotte — Started; 31 minutes, 21 points, 8–12 FG, 4–5 3FG, 1–3 FT, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 turnovers, +2, 14.0 game score
Season statistics — 18 games, 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 36.8FG%, 33.9%3P, 84.6FT
Up next — Wednesday vs. Sacramento, 7 p.m.; Friday vs. Los Angeles Clippers, 8 p.m.
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings guard
No game
Season statistics — 16 games, 15.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 47.8FG%, 39.0%3P, 83.8FT%
Up next — Wednesday at Orlando, 7 p.m.; Friday vs. Toronto in Tampa, Fla., 7:30 p.m.
Tony Bradley, Philadelphia Sixers center/forward
119–104 loss at Detroit — 23 minutes, 12 points, 5–7 FG, 2–2 FT, 9 rebounds, 1 block, +12, 13.8 game score
Season statistics — 6 games, 5.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 0.5 of an assist, 53.3 FG%, 0–0 3FG, 3–5 FT
Up next — Wednesday vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 7:30 p.m., ESPN; Friday at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Reggie Bullock, New York Knicks guard/forward
No game
Season statistics — 15 games, 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 38.5FG%, 34.8%3P, 70.0FT%
Up next — Tuesday at Utah, 9 p.m.; Friday vs. Cleveland, 7:30 p.m.
Ed Davis, Minnesota Timberwolves center/forward
130–108 loss at Golden State — 13 minutes, 4 points, 2–4 FG, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, +3, 4.8 game score
Season statistics — 13 games, 2.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 40.6G%, 0–0 3FG, 83.3FT%
Up next — Wednesday at Golden State, 10 p.m., ESPN; Friday vs. Philadelphia, 8 p.m.
Wayne Ellington, Detroit Pistons guard
119–104 win vs. Philadelphia — Started; 33 minutes, 20 points, 7–10 FG, 6–9 3FG, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover, +21, 17.1 game score
Season statistics — 12 games, 12.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 53.6FG%, 51.9 3P%, 70.0FTG%
Up next — Wednesday at Cleveland, 7 p.m.; Thursday vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 8 p.m.
Danny Green, Philadelphia 76ers forward
119–104 loss at Detroit — Started; 22 minutes, 6 points, 2–6 FG, 2–4 3FG, 1 rebound, 1 steal, +19, 3.9 game score
Season statistics — 18 games, 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 37.5FG%, 36.4%3P 72.7FT%
Up next — Wednesday vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 7:30 p.m., ESPN; Friday at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Justin Jackson, Oklahoma City Thunder forward
125–122 win at Portland — 16 minutes, 6 points, 2–5 FG, 0–2 3FG, 2–2 FG, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, +1, 6.0 game score
Season statistics — 6 games, 5.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 44.4FG%, 18.8%3P, 80.0FT%
Up next — Wednesday at Phoenix, 9 p.m.; Friday vs. Brooklyn, 8 p.m.
Cameron Johnson, Phoenix Suns wing
No game
Season statistics — 15 games, 11.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 44.8FG%, 35.3%3P, 82.4FT%
Up next — Wednesday vs. Oklahoma City, 9 p.m.; Thursday vs. Golden State, 10 p.m.
Nassir Little, Portland Blazers forward/guard
125–122 loss vs. Oklahoma City — 22 minutes, 4 points, 1–5 FG, 0–2 3PG, 2–2 FT, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 1 turnover, +4, 1.4 game score
Season statistics — 6 games, 1.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1 assist, 30.0%FG, 1–4 3FG, 3–4 FT
Up next — Thursday at Houston, 9:30 p.m., TNT; Saturday at Chicago, 8 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 — Tuesday at Utah, 9 p.m.; Friday vs. Cleveland, 7:30 p.m.
Coby White, Chicago Bulls point guard
119–103 loss vs. Boston — Started; 24 minutes, 5 points, 2–6 FG, 1–3 3FG, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, -22, -0.3 game score
Season statistics — 17 games, 15.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 40.0FG%, 35.8%3P, 84.2 FT
Up next — Wednesday game at Memphis postponed; Saturday vs. Portland, 8 p.m.
What is a game score? Here is an exclamation.
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