By R.L. Bynum
Cole Anthony and Harrison Barnes both had big games Friday night, with Anthony trying to play peacemaker amid a brawl in an Orlando win and Barnes missing a potential tying shot at the end of a Sacramento loss. Both had dunks that made the Top 10 Plays segment on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
Anthony had his second-best game of the season with a 21.9 game score, collecting 20 points, two 3-pointers, eight rebounds, six assists and a steal in the Magic’s 127–120 win at Minnesota that included an ugly fight that led to five ejections.
Five players in the last 30 years have come off the bench to get at least 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists with 75% shooting. This was the second time Anthony, who was 6 of 8 from the floor and made both 3-point attempts, has done it this season. The first came when he put up a season-high 23.9 game score on Dec. 23 in a win over San Antonio and just missed a triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
Here is Anthony’s dunk that was the No. 2 play on “SportsCenter,” off a Jalen Suggs alley-oop pass:
The Magic got 72 bench points, with the biggest contribution from Anthony, who has come off the bench since starting three consecutive games in late October. Anthony was 6 of 8 at the free-throw line Friday, and is 15th in the NBA at the line, shooting 88.8%.
Rather than being in the middle of the melee, Anthony was trying to pull players away from the third-quarter brawl and play peacekeeper before Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards picked him up to pull him away.
It all started when Orlando center Mo Bamba, who wasn’t in the game, got into an altercation with former Duke player Austin Rivers in front of the Magic bench.
After Suggs pulled Rivers away from Bamba and onto the court, more bodies hit the court, and a tussle ensued. Officials ejected Rivers and Timberwolves teammates Jaden McDaniels and Taurean Prince, as well as Bamba and Suggs.
Orlando has split its last 10 games and is 13th in the Eastern Conference at 21–32.
Barnes scored 23 points and three 3-pointers but missed a 3-point attempt with 9.1 seconds left that would have tied the game as Sacramento lost at Indiana 107–104.
The usually stoic Barnes showed plenty of emotion after throwing down a highlight-reel second-quarter dunk over Indiana’s Aaron Nesmith that was No. 5 in the Top 10 Plays segment.
It was the 16th game with at least 20 points this season for Barnes, whose 21.0 game score was his eighth this season of at least 20. He was 7 of 12 from the floor and 3 of 5 from 3-point range, with five rebounds and three assists.
Sacramento is 2–2 on a seven-game road trip and is third in the Western Conference at 29–22.
In Phoenix’s 106–94 victory at Boston, Cameron Johnson didn’t play for the Suns because of what the team called injury management. The Suns play at Detroit on Saturday. The Celtics’ Justin Jackson got into the game for 44 seconds and didn’t score.
Walker Kessler had two points, five rebounds, two steals and a block in Utah’s 115–108 home loss to Atlanta. It was his eighth game this season with two points or fewer.
Nassir Little played 16 scoreless minutes with two rebounds and a block in Portland’s 124–116 victory at Washington. He missed all six shots, including five from 3-point range, for his third scoreless game of the season but first since Nov. 25.
Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic guard
Age 22 | 6–3, 185 | third NBA season | UNC 2019–20 (1 season)
127–120 Friday win at Minnesota — 27 minutes, 20 points, 6–8 FG, 2–2 3FG, 6–8 FT, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 5 fouls, +10, 21.9 game score (second-highest this season)
Season statistics — 35 games, 12.2 points, 44.0 FG%, 33.9 3P%, 88.8 FT%, 4.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists
Next games — 1 p.m. Sunday at Charlotte, Bally Sports SE; 7 p.m. Tuesday vs. New York
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings forward
Age 30 | 6–8, 225 | 11th NBA season | UNC 2010–12 (2 seasons)
107–104 Friday loss at Indiana — Started; 35 minutes, 23 points, 7–12 FG, 3–5 3FG, 6–7 FT, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, +5, 21.0 game score
Season statistics — 51 games, 15.4 points, 48.1 FG%, 38.9 3FG%, 82.4 FT%, 4.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists
Next games — 7 p.m. Sunday at New Orleans; 8 p.m. Monday at Houston
Tony Bradley, Chicago Bulls center
Age 25 | 6–10, 248 | sixth NBA season | UNC 2016–17 (1 season)
Off Friday
Season statistics — 10 games, 25 minutes, 12 points, 4–8 FG, 2–4 3FG, 2–2 FT, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Next games — 8 p.m. Saturday vs. Portland; 8 p.m. Monday vs. San Antonio
Reggie Bullock, Dallas Mavericks small forward
Age 31 | 6–6, 205 | 10th NBA season | UNC 2010–13 (3 seasons)
Off Friday
Season statistics — 51 games, 6.5 points, 38.9 FG%, 36.4 3P%, 64.5 FT%, 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Next games — 8:30 Saturday at Golden State, ABC; 9 p.m. Monday at Utah
Danny Green, Memphis Grizzlies guard
Age 35 | 6–6, 205 | 13th NBA season | UNC 2005–09 (4 seasons)
Off Friday
Season statistics — 1 game, 10 minutes, 3 points, 1–4 FG, 1–4 3FG, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls
Next games — 6 p.m. Sunday vs. Toronto; 8 p.m. Tuesday vs. Chicago
Justin Jackson, Boston Celtics forward
Age 27 | 6–8, 220| sixth NBA season | UNC 2014–17 (3 seasons)
106–94 Friday loss vs. Phoenix — 44 seconds, 0 points, plus/minus of 0, 0.0 game score
Season statistics — 23 games, 107 minutes, 20 points, 7–27 FG, 5–20 3FG, 17 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 blocks, 4 steals
Next games — 7 p.m. Monday at Detroit; 7:30 Wednesday vs. Philadelphia
Cameron Johnson, Phoenix Suns forward
Age 27 | 6–8, 210| fourth NBA season | UNC 2017–19 (2 seasons)
106–94 Friday win at Boston — Didn’t play (injury management)
Season statistics — 15 games, 13.5 points, 45.1 FG%, 44.0 3P%, 80.03 FT%, 3.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Next games — 7 p.m. Saturday at Detroit; 7:30 Tuesday at Brooklyn, TNT
Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz center
Age 21 | 7–0, 245 | rookie NBA season | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
115–108 Friday loss vs. Atlanta — Started; 18 minutes, 2 points, 1–2 FG, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, -15, 3.4 game score
Season statistics — 51 games, 7.8 points, 71.7 FG%, 53.1 FT%, 7.4 rebounds, 0.8 of an assist, 2.0 blocks
Next games — 9 p.m. Monday vs. Dallas; 9 p.m. Wednesday vs. Minnesota
Nassir Little, Portland Trail Blazers forward
Age 22 | 6–5, 220 | third NBA season | UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
124–116 Friday win at Washington — 16 minutes, 0 points, 0–6 FG, 0–5 3FG, 2 rebounds, 1 block, -1, -2.9 game score (season-low)
Season statistics — 31 games, 5.9 points, 46.9 FG%, 41.3 3P%, 61.5 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 0.8 of an assist
Next games — 8 p.m. Saturday at Chicago; 10 p.m. Monday vs. Milwaukee, NBATV
Theo Pinson, Dallas Mavericks guard
Age 27 | 6–5, 212 | fifth NBA season | UNC 2014–18 (4 seasons)
Off Friday
Season statistics — 25 games, 132 minutes, 41 points, 12–34 FG, 9–24 3FG, 8–9 FT, 27 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals
Next games — 8:30 Saturday at Golden State, ABC; 9 p.m. Monday at Utah
Day’Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets center
Age 21 | 6–9, 265 | second NBA season | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
Off Friday
Season NBA statistics — 26 games, 3.9 points, 52.6 FG%, 4–5 3FG, 65.2 FT%, 3.6 rebounds, 0.8 of an assist, 0.6 of a block
Season G League statistics — 14 games, 16.3 points, 64.4 2PFG%, 21.1 3FG%, 57.1 FT%, 12.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 blocks, 12 double-doubles
Next games — 6 p.m. Saturday vs. Washington; 7:30 Monday vs. Los Angeles Clippers, NBATV
Coby White, Chicago Bulls guard
Age 22 | 6–4, 195 | fourth NBA season| UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
Off Friday
Season statistics — 44 games, 8.4 points, 41.5 FG%, 36.7 3P%, 2.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Next games — 8 p.m. Saturday vs. Portland; 8 p.m. Monday vs. San Antonio
In the G League
Garrison Brooks, Westchester Knicks center
Age 23 | 6–10, 240 | Rookie | UNC 2017–21 (4 seasons)
Off Friday
Season statistics — 27 games, 13.2 points, 63.8 2PFGP%, 0–18 3P, 53.7 FT%, 11.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.6 of a block, 19 double-doubles
Next games — 7 p.m. Monday at College Park; 7 p.m. Wednesday at College Park, ESPN+
Get an explanation of the game score metric here. Michael Jordan produced the all-time-high game score of 64.6 on March 28, 1990, in the Chicago Bulls’ 117–113 overtime win at Cleveland. Jordan had 69 points on 23 of 37 shooting (2 of 6 from 3-point range), made 21 of 23 free-throw attempts and collected 18 rebounds, six assists, four steals and a block.
Photo via @OrlandoMagic
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