By R.L. Bynum
Nassir Little’s best game of the season wasn’t enough for his short-handed Portland team, as Harrison Barnes’ Sacramento Kings rolled to a 133–116 home victory on Thursday as the NBA returned from the All-Star break.
Little started for the second time this season, scoring 26 points and five 3-pointers with four steals and a block. The Trail Blazers played without Damian Lillard (rest), Jermani Grant (rest), Jusuf Nurkic (calf strain), Anfernee Simons (ankle sprain) and Justice Winslow (ankle sprain).
“I was happy to see Nassir get hot,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. “He did a good job of picking the right spots to shoot.”
The five 3-pointers tied a career-high, which he had done twice before, the last time on Jan. 17, 2022, at Orlando. The 26 points and 23.3 game score were both season-highs. Little was four away from his career-high of 30 points on Feb. 1, 2021, at Milwaukee, when he put up a career-high 26.9 game score.
Little was 5 of 9 from 3-point range and is shooting 41% from outside the arc this season. He made 26.9% of his 3-point attempts in his one season at Carolina, hitting a career-high two against Elon on Nov. 9, 2018, and vs. Virginia Tech on Jan. 21, 2019.
Barnes had another solid game with 15 points, three rebounds and two assists as Sacramento, third in the Western Conference, moved to 33–25.
Cole Anthony had an efficient game in Orlando’s 108–106 home victory over Detroit. In 18 minutes, he scored 15 points, made all three 3-point attempts and added four rebounds and four assists.
In Dallas’ 142–116 home win over San Antonio, Reggie Bullock started and scored 12 points and four 3-pointers in 26 minutes, with four rebounds. Theo Pinson had two rebounds, an assist and a steal in six scoreless minutes off the bench.
In Utah’s 120–119 overtime victory over Oklahoma City, Walker Kessler started and collected seven points, 18 rebounds and seven blocks and made his first NBA 3-point attempt.
The seven blocks tied the season-high for the rookie, who swatted that total Jan. 13 against Orlando and Feb. 1 against Toronto.
Kessler joined Andrei Kirilenko (12 times) and Donyell Marshall as the only Utah players to block at least six shots and score a 3-pointer in a game.
At the end of regulation, his block of a potential game-winning driving shot by Oklahoma City’s Isaiah Joe sent the game into overtime.
Danny Green didn’t play (coach’s decision) for Cleveland in the Cavaliers’ first home game since he joined the team. The Cavaliers lost 115–109 to Denver.
On the Thursday before the All-Star break, Chicago lost 112–110 to the Milwaukee Bucks in what turned out to be Tony Bradley’s final game with the Bulls.
On Tuesday, the team released Bradley, who only played in 12 games and 33 total minutes for Chicago. He scored five points in 3½ minutes in that Bucks game in only his third game since Dec. 18.
Coby White collected seven points, five rebounds and three assists against Milwaukee.
Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic guard
Age 22 | 6–3, 185 | third NBA season | UNC 2019–20 (1 season)
108–106 Thursday win vs. Detroit — 18 minutes 15 points, 5–12 FG, 3–3 3FG, 2–2 FT, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, -15, 11.6 game score
Season statistics — 40 games, 12.1 points, 44.2 FG%, 34.6 3P%, 88.6 FT%, 4.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists
Next games — 7 p.m. Saturday vs. Indiana; 8 p.m. Monday at New Orleans
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings forward
Age 30 | 6–8, 225 | 11th NBA season | UNC 2010–12 (2 seasons)
133–116 Thursday win vs. Portland — Started; 24 minutes, 15 points, 5–9 FG, 1–2 3FG, 4–5 FT, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, -4, 13.4 game score
Season statistics — 58 games, 14.9 points, 47.2 FG%, 37.5 3FG%, 83.2 FT%, 4.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Next games — 10:30 Friday at Los Angeles Clippers; 7 p.m. Sunday at Oklahoma City
Reggie Bullock, Dallas Mavericks small forward
Age 31 | 6–6, 205 | 10th NBA season | UNC 2010–13 (3 seasons)
142–116 Thursday win vs. San Antonio — Started; 26 minutes, 12 points, 4–6 FG, 4–6 3FG, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 fouls, +5, 10.5 game score
Season statistics — 59 games, 6.9 points, 39.9 FG%, 37.6 3P%, 68.6 FT%, 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Next games — 3:30 Sunday vs. Los Angeles Lakers, ABC; 8:30 Tuesday vs. Indiana
Danny Green, Cleveland Cavaliers guard
Age 35 | 6–6, 205 | 13th NBA season | UNC 2005–09 (4 seasons)
115–109 Thursday loss vs. Denver — Didn’t play (coach’s decision)
Season statistics — 4 games, 55 minutes, 13 points, 4–16 FG, 4–11 3FG, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Next games — 7:30 p.m. Friday at Atlanta; 6 p.m. Sunday vs. Toronto
Cameron Johnson, Brooklyn Nets forward
Age 27 | 6–8, 210 | fourth NBA season | UNC 2017–19 (2 seasons)
Off Thursday
Season statistics — 20 games, 14.0 points, 46.2 FG%, 42.3 3P%, 79.1 FT%, 3.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists
Next games — 8 p.m. Friday at Chicago; 3:30 Sunday at Atlanta
Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz center
Age 21 | 7–0, 245 | rookie NBA season | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
120–119 Thursday OT win vs. Oklahoma City — Started; 37 minutes, 7 points 3–4 FG, 1–1 3FG, 0–2 FT, 18 rebounds, 2 assists, 7 blocks, 2 fouls, +8, 17.1 game score
Season statistics — 58 games, 8.2 points, 71.3 FG%, 53.4 FT%, 1–1 3FG, 7.8 rebounds, 0.8 of an assist, 2.1 blocks
Next games — 9 p.m. Saturday vs. San Antonio; 9 p.m. Tuesday vs. San Antonio
Nassir Little, Portland Trail Blazers forward
Age 23 | 6–5, 220 | third NBA season | UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
133–116 Thursday loss at Sacramento — Started; 34 minutes, 26 points (season-high), 10–19 FG, 5–9 3FG (total ties career-high), 1–1 FT, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 1 block, 1 foul, -12, 23.3 game score (season-high)
Season statistics — 38 games, 6.5 points, 47.2 FG%, 41.0 3P%, 63.6 FT%, 2.4 rebounds, 0.9 of an assist
Next games — 9 p.m. Sunday vs. Houston; 10 p.m. Tuesday at Golden State
Theo Pinson, Dallas Mavericks guard
Age 27 | 6–5, 212 | fifth NBA season | UNC 2014–18 (4 seasons)
142–116 Thursday win vs. San Antonio — 6 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, plus/minus of 0, 2.3 game score
Season statistics — 33 games, 1.9 points, 33.9 FG%, 35.7 3P%, 81.8 FT, 1.2 rebounds, 0.9 of an assist
Next games — 3:30 Sunday vs. Los Angeles Lakers, ABC; 8:30 Tuesday vs. Indiana
Day’Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets center
Age 21 | 6–9, 265 | second NBA season | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)
Off Thursday
Season NBA statistics — 32 games, 4.0 points, 54.0 FG%, 4–6 3FG, 59.3 FT%, 3.8 rebounds, 0.7 of an assist, 0.5 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 — 10 p.m. Friday at Chicago, ESPN; 3:30 Sunday at Atlanta
Coby White, Chicago Bulls guard
Age 23 | 6–4, 195 | fourth NBA season| UNC 2018–19 (1 season)
112–100 Thursday, Feb. 16, loss vs. Milwaukee — 37 minutes, 7 points, 4–14 FG, 0–5 3FG, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 fouls, -14, 2.6 game score
Season statistics — 51 games, 8.8 points, 41.7 FG%, 35.3 3P%, 2.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists
Next games — 8 p.m. Friday vs. Brooklyn, ESPN; 3:30 Sunday vs. Washington
Players released
— On Feb. 9, Boston traded Justin Jackson to Oklahoma City, who waived him Feb. 10. His season statistics: 23 games, 107 minutes, 20 points, 7–27 FG, 5–20 3FG, 17 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 blocks, 4 steals
— On Tuesday, Chicago waived Tony Bradley. His season statistics: 12 games, 33 minutes, 19 points, 6–12 FG, 3–5 3FG, 4–4 FT, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
In the G League
Garrison Brooks, Westchester Knicks center
Age 23 | 6–10, 240 | Rookie | UNC 2017–21 (4 seasons)
Off Thursday
Season statistics — 31 games, 12.8 points, 63.3 2PFGP%, 0–18 3P, 55.7 FT%, 11.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 of a block, 21 double-doubles
Next games — 7 p.m. Friday vs. Fort Wayne; 3 p.m. Sunday at Windy City
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.
tarheeltribune.com 
I look very forward to your excellent posts with one exception- that would be Kessler, who I’m sure most Tar Heels would agree is not a member of the “family”. We can understand those who leave for a chance to improve their futures, but Kessler is simply a quitter.
Best, Freeman Barber ‘64
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These updates are of former UNC players, regardless of why or when they left the program. I understand that some readers may not like having Kessler included but I’ve also had readers who appreciate him being part of these stories. After all, he played as many seasons at UNC as many of the others who are part of these updates.
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