Tar Heels in NBA: Anthony’s Magic beat Bulls but White’s numbers better; Little hits 19

By R.L. Bynum

In a battle of the previous two starting Carolina point guards, Cole Anthony won the game but Coby White had better statistics.

Anthony collected 11 points and five assists as Orlando snapped a four-game losing streak with a 114–95 home victory over the short-handed Chicago Bulls. It was the Magic’s first win in three tries against Chicago this season but Anthony didn’t play in the Bulls wins on Nov. 26 and Jan. 3.

In two seasons when Anthony and White have both played, Orlando is 3–1 against Chicago.

Anthony swatted away the ball at one point as White was driving to the hoop.

White scored 22 points and DeMar DeRozan netted a season-high 41 but Chicago, which has lost its second straight and seventh in the past nine.

The Bulls played without Lonzo Ball (left knee contusion), Zach LaVine (left knee soreness), Alex Caruso (right wrist fracture) and Javonte Green (right adductor strain). Caruso got hurt when former Duke player Grayson Allen flagrantly fouled him, leading to a one-game suspension for Allen.

It was the fifth consecutive start for White, who will stay in the starting lineup for possibly another two months. Ball will rehab for a few more days before having left knee surgery, and is expected to be out six to eight weeks after that.

LaVine and Green could return Monday night at Oklahoma City.

Chicago (28–17) is third in the Eastern Conference, one game behind leading Miami and half-game back of Brooklyn.

Tony Bradley was scoreless in six minutes for Chicago.

Orlando (9–39) has its issues as well. R.J. Hampton (left knee MCL sprain), Markelle Fultz (recovering from left knee injury) and Michael Carter-Williams (recovering from left ankle injury) were already out before Terrance Ross (right knee soreness) and Gary Harris (back spasms) were scratched two hours before the game.

Imagine if they had all stayed in school at Carolina — White would be a senior, Cole Anthony a junior and Nassir LIttle a senior.


Little has been dealing with a contusion in his right knee but it must have felt fine in Portland’s 114–105 victory at Toronto. Little had 19 points, two 3-pointers, seven rebounds, a steal and a block and was a team-high +20 for the Blazers (20–26).

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Little played 12 scoreless minutes on Wednesday before coming out with that injury and had seven points in 33 minutes in Friday night’s win at Boston.

His 16.0 game score was the fourth-highest for Little this season.


Day’Ron Sharpe collected eight points, nine rebounds and a block in Brooklyn’s 136–125 loss at Minnesota. He tied his season-high with six offensive rebounds.


After not playing in the previous four games (coach’s decision), Wayne Ellington scored three points in nine minutes of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 113–107 loss at Miami.


Reggie Bullock had four points and two rebounds in 20 minutes of Dallas’ 104–91 home win over Memphis. Theo Pinson played one minute and had no statistics.


In the G League, Justin Jackson had 23 points and nine rebounds in the Texas Legends’ 111–85 road loss to the Iowa Wolves. He was 8 of 23 from the floor and 5 of 17 from 3-point range.

Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic guard
114–95 win
vs. Chicago — Started; 30 minutes, 11 points, 4–13 FG, 1–2 3FG, 2–3 FT, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, +19, 7.1 game score
Season statistics —
34 games, 18.0 points, 39.4 FG%, 32.9 3FG%, 83.1 FT%, 6.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists
Up next — 7 p.m. Wednesday vs. Los Angeles Clippers; 7 p.m. Friday vs. Detroit
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Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings forward
Off Sunday
Season statistics
— 44 games, 16.6 points, 45.7 FG%, 41.8 3FG%, 82.8 FT%, 6.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists
Up next — 7:30 Tuesday at Boston; 7:30 Wednesday at Atlanta
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Tony Bradley, Chicago Bulls center
114–95 loss at Orlando —
6 minutes, 0 points, 0–1 FG, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 block, 3 turnovers, -6, -2.8 game score
Season statistics — 32 games, 3.7 points, 56.5 FG%, 76.5 FT%, 4.2 rebounds, 0.6 of an assist
Up next — 8 p.m. Monday at Oklahoma City; 8 p.m. Wednesday vs. Toronto
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Reggie Bullock, Dallas Mavericks guard/forward
104–91 win
vs. Memphis — 20 minutes, 4 points, 2–4 FG, 0–2 3FG, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, +2, 2.8 game score
Season statistics —
39 games, 6.2 points, 38.2 FG%, 31.6 3P%, 73.7 FT%, 3.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists
Up next —
10 p.m. Tuesday at Golden State, TNT; 10 p.m. Wednesday at Portland
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Ed Davis, Cleveland Cavaliers center
Off Sunday
Season statistics —
13 games, 1.5 points, 75.0 FG%, 16.7 FT%, 2.8 rebounds, 0.1 of an assist
Up next — 7 p.m. Monday vs. New York; 7 p.m. Wednesday vs. Milwaukee
———————————————
Wayne Ellington, Los Angeles Lakers guard
113–107 loss
at Miami — 9 minutes, 3 points, 1–2FG, 1–2 3FG, 1 rebound, -6, 2.3 game score
Season statistics — 31 games, 6.3 points, 40.0 FG%, 38.4 3FG%, 4–5 FT, 1.6 rebounds, 0.7 of an assist
Up next — 7:30 Tuesday at Brooklyn, TNT; 7:30 Thursday at Philadelphia, TNT
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Danny Green, Philadelphia 76ers forward
115–109
win at San Antonio — Missed sixth consecutive game with right hip pain
Season statistics — 29 games, 6.7 points, 40.7 FG%, 38.1 3FG%, 9–10 FT, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists
Up next — 7 p.m. Tuesday vs. New Orleans; 7:30 Thursday vs. Los Angeles Lakers, TNT
———————————————
Cameron Johnson, Phoenix Suns wing
Off Sunday
Season statistics —
42 games, 11.6 points, 45.1 FG%, 42.3 3FG%, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Up next — 9 p.m. Monday vs. Utah, NBATV; 10 p.m. Wednesday at Utah, ESPN
———————————————
Nassir Little, Portland Trail Blazers wing
114–105 win
at Toronto — Started; 38 minutes, 19 points, 8–11 FG, 2–3 3FG, 1–2 FT, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 4 turnovers, +20, 16.0 game score
Season statistics — 41 games, 9.5 points, 45.4 FG%, 31.8 3P%, 73.6 FT%, 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Up next — 10 p.m. Tuesday vs. Minnesota; 10 p.m. Wednesday vs. Dallas
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Theo Pinson, Dallas Mavericks guard
104–91 win
vs. Memphis — 1 minute, no statistics, -2, 0.0 game score
NBA season statistics —
12 games, 2.1 points, 29.6 FG, 25.0 3FG, 4–4 FT, 1.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists
G League season statistics —
13 games, 15.4 points, 40.6 FG%, 39.2 3FG%, 83.3 FT%, 4.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.2 steals
Up next — Legends play at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Iowa Wolves; Mavs play at 10 p.m. Tuesday at Golden State, TNT
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Day’Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets center
136–125 loss at Minnesota —
Started; 21 minutes, 8 points, 4–7 FG, 9 rebounds, 1 block, 2 turnovers, +8, 7.3 game score
Season NBA statistics —
21 games, 6.6 points, 59.2 FG%, 33.3% 3P%, 65.2% FT, 4.9 rebounds, 0.3 of an assist
Season G League statistics — 4 games, 18.0 points, 47.8 FG%, 33.33P%, 85.7 FT%, 9.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 2.6 blocks
Up next — 7:30 Tuesday vs. Los Angeles Lakers, TNT; 8 p.m. Wednesday vs. Denver, 8 p.m.
———————————————
Coby White, Chicago Bulls guard
114–95 loss at Orlando —
Started; 35 minutes, 22 points, 8–18 FG, 1–7 3FG, 5–7 FT, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, -11, 10.9 game score
Season statistics — 27 games, 12.8 points, 44.7 FG%, 36.1 3P%, 2.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists
Up next — 8 p.m. Monday at Oklahoma City; 8 p.m. Wednesday vs. Toronto
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In the G League
Justin Jackson, Texas Legends (Mavericks affiliate) forward
111–85 loss
at Iowa Wolves (Minnesota affiliate) Started; 35 minutes, 23 points, 8–23 FG, 5–17 3FG, 1–1 FT, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, -14
NBA season statistics —
4 games, 3.8 points, 62.5% FG, 60% 3FG, 1.5 rebounds
G League season statistics for Texas Legends— 16 games, 23.2 points, 43.4% FG, 40.4% 3FG, 82.5 FT%, 7.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.9 of a steal
Up next — 8 p.m. Tuesday at Iowa Wolves; 8:30 Saturday vs. South Bay Lakers
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Photo via @chicagobulls

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