Tar Heels in NBA: White hits 26, one of four UNC alums to make NBA postseason; Black scores 11 in Hornets win

By R.L. Bynum

Coby White, one of the four former Tar Heels who will play in the NBA postseason, concluded his best pro season with 26 points on Sunday. Rookie Leaky Black tied his season-high of 11 points in the Charlotte Hornets season-ending win.

White’s Bulls and Harrison Barnes’ Sacramento Kings play home elimination games this week in the play-in tournament.

Chicago is the Eastern Conference’s No. 9 seed and meets the Atlanta Hawks in a play-in tournament game at 9:30 Wednesday (ESPN). Chicago’s season is over with a loss. With a win, the Bulls would meet the loser of the 7 p.m. Wednesday play-in game between No. 7 seed Philadelphia and No. 8 seed Miami (ESPN).

White made 12 of 18 shots in Sunday’s 120–119 overtime loss at New York, his 14th game this season with more than 25 points. He averaged 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists, all career highs.


Sacramento is the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference and takes on No. 10 Golden State at 10 p.m. Tuesday (TNT). The Kings are eliminated with a loss. With a win, they would play the loser of a 7:30 Tuesday play-in game between No. 7 New Orleans and No. 8 Los Angeles Lakers (TNT).

In the Kings’ regular-season finale, Barnes scored 17 points in their 121–82 home win over Portland. His average of 12.2 points was his lowest total since averaging 11.7 in the 2015–16 season.


Cole Anthony’s Orlando Magic is the No. 5 seed in the East, and will meet the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers in a first-round series.

Anthony collected 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in Orlando’s 113–88 Sunday victory over Milwaukee. He averaged 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists while playing 22.4 minutes per game, all career-lows.


Nassir Little’s Phoenix Suns are the No. 6 seed in the West and face No. 3 Minnesota in a first-round series. He had four points in five minutes of the Suns’ 125–106 Sunday win against the Timberwolves. Little only averaged 10.2 minutes and 3.4 points per game, both career-lows.


Black’s Hornets finished 21–61, but he scored 11 points in Charlotte’s 120–110 Sunday win at Cleveland. That matched the 11 points he scored on Feb. 2 at Oklahoma City.

Black averaged 2.7 points in 26 NBA games while averaging 7.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 26 games for the G League’s Greensboro Swarm.


Reggie Bullock finished a frustrating season for the 41–41 Houston Rockets, going scoreless in six minutes in their 116–106 season-ending road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. It was the 21st scoreless game this season for Bullock, who averaged 9.5 minutes and 2.2 points per game, his lowest since the 2014–15 season with Phoenix and the Los Angeles Clippers.


Brooklyn finished its season 32–50 after falling at Philadelphia on Sunday 107–58. Neither Cameron Johnson nor Day’Ron Sharpe played. Johnson missed the last two games with a left big toe sprain and Sharpe missed three of the last six games with a wrist injury.

Johnson averaged 13.4 points, his lowest since averaging 12.5 in the 2021–22 season for Phoenix. His 39.1% shooting from 3-point range was his lowest since shooting 34.9 in that same season.

Sharpe averaged 6.8 points and 6.4 rebounds, both career-highs.


Walker Kessler missed the last six Utah Jazz games with a nasal fracture. The Jazz finished 12th in the Western Conference with a 31–51 record. Kessler averaged 8.1 points and 7.5 rebounds, both down from his rookie season, and 2.4 blocks.


None of the four former Tar Heels in the G League made the playoffs.

Pete Nance’s Cleveland Charge finished 11th in the Eastern Conference, and he averaged 13.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He played in eight games for the Cleveland Cavaliers, with three points and three rebounds in 27 minutes.


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The Texas Legends, with Justin Jackson, Theo Pinson and Tony Bradley, finished ninth in the Western Conference.

Jackson, who played one minute over two games for the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaged 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 44 G League games.

Pinson averaged 14.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 46 games, while Bradley averaged 14.1 points and 9.4 rebounds in 17 games.

Cole Anthony, Milwaukee Bucks guard
Age 25 | 6–2, 185 | 6th season | $2.67 million salary | UNC 2019–20 (1 season)

Roster situation — Third-string point guard behind Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins
Season statistics 33 games, 6.9 points, 43.2 FG%, 31.4 3P%, 61.5 FT%, 2.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists
Team record: 18–28, 12th in Eastern Conference
Tuesday: 139–122 loss at Philadelphia 14:13, 10 points, 3–8 FG, 1–2 3FG, 3–4 FT, 1 rebound, 1 asisst, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, -17
Thursday: 109–99 loss at Washington 17:36, 5 points, 2–11 FG, 1–6 3FG, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, -9
Next game 3:30 Sunday at Boston, ESPN


Harrison Barnes, San Antonio Spurs forward
Age 33 | 6–7, 225 | 14th season | $19 million salary | UNC 2010–12 (2 seasons)

Roster situation Starting power forward ahead of Keldon Johnson
Season statistics 46 games, 10.6 points, 43.6 FG%, 36.0 3P%, 87.3 FT%, 2.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists
Team record: 32–15, 2nd in Western Conference
Wednesday: 111–99 win at Houston —Started; 28:46, 9 points, 4–6 FG, 1–2 3FG, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 foul, +1
Next game 3 p.m. Saturday at Charlotte, Prime Video


Roster situation — Third-string center behind Jay Huff and Isaiah Jackson
Season statistics — 38 games, 4.0 points, 55.7 FG%, 0–1 3FG, 74.4 FT%, 2.8 rebounds
Team record: 12–36, 14th in Eastern Conference
Wednesday: 113–110 win vs. Chicago — Didn’t play (coach’s decision)
Next game — 7 p.m. Saturday vs. Atlanta


Cameron Johnson, Denver Nuggets forward
Age 29 | 6–8, 210 | 7th season | $22.54 million salary | UNC 2017–19 (2 seasons)

Roster situation Starting small forward ahead of Tim Hardaway Jr.
Season statistics 28 games, 11.7 points, 46.1 FG%, 42.9 3P%, 81.0 FT%, 3.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists
Team record: 32–16, 3rd in Western Conference
Out for at least a month with a bone bruise and hyperextended right knee


Roster situation Backup point guard behind Deni Avdija/fourth-string 2 guard
Season statistics — 39 games, 11.3 points, 39.3 FG%, 32.8 3P%, 74.4 FT%, 2.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists
Team record: 23–24, 9th in Western Conference
Monday: 102–94 loss at Boston Didn’t start; 25:45, 11 points, 5–14 FG, 1–7 3FG, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 turnovers, -1
Next game 7:30 Friday at New York


Season G League statistics — 12 games, 19.0 points, 53.7 FG%, 40.3 3P%, 78.9 FT%, 8.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.1 blocks
Season NBA statistics — 16 games, 3.5 points, 56.1 FG%, 47.6 3P%, 1.5 rebounds, 0.4 of an assist
Team record: 18–28, 12th in Eastern Conference
Tuesday: 139–122 loss at Philadelphia 2:23, 2 points, 1–2 FG, -3
Thursday: 109–99 loss at Washington 20:08, 13 points, 6–10 FG, 1–3 3FG, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 fouls, -1
Next game 3:30 Sunday at Boston, ESPN


Roster situation Starting shooting guard
Season statistics 35 games, 6.2 points, 43.9 FG%, 30.7 3FG%, 90.2 FT%, 1.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists
Team record: 12–34, 13th in Eastern Conference
Tuesday: 106–102 loss at Phoenix Started; 8:28, 1 turnover, -9
Thursday: 107–103 loss at Denver Didn’t start; 19:59, 7 points, 2–5 FG, 1–3 3FG, 2–2 FT, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, -11
Next game 9:30 Friday at Utah


Day’Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets center
Age 24 | 6–9, 265 | 5th season | $6.25 million salary | UNC 2020–21 (1 season)

Roster situation Backup center behind Nic Claxton
Season statistics 44 games, 7.8 points, 60.3 FG%, 20.0 3P%, 67.0 FT%, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Team record: 12–34, 13th in Eastern Conference
Tuesday: 106–102 loss at Phoenix Didn’t start; 19:19, 7 points, 3–5 FG, 1–2 FT, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 foul, +5
Thursday: 107–103 loss at Denver Didn’t start; 16:59, 7 points, 3–5 FG, 1–2 FT, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, -12
Next game 9:30 Friday at Utah


Coby White, Chicago Bulls forward
Age 25 | 6–4, 195 | 7th season | $12.88 million salary | UNC 2018–19 (1 season)

Roster situation Starting shooting guard ahead of Ayo Dosunmu
Season statistics — 27 games, 18.6 points, 44.4 FG%, 36.1 3PFG, 79.9 FT%, 3.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists
Team record: 23–25, 10th in Eastern Conference
Wednesday: 113–110 loss at Indiana Started; 31:34, 14 points, 5–15 FG, 1–5 3FG, 3–4 FT, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 fouls, -9
Thursday: 116–113 loss vs. Miami Started; 31:34, 14 points, 2–11 FG, 2–8 3FG, 8–10 FT, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 5 fouls, +5
Next game 8 p.m. Saturday at Miami


Out for season

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (torn labrum in left shoulder); season statistics: 5 games, 14.4 points, 70.3 FG%, 75.0 3P%, 70.0 FT%, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.8 blocks


Season statistics — 27 games, 11.1 points, 46.2 FG%, 35.1 3P%, 68.0 FT%, 7.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.0 steals
Thursday: (at) Austin Spurs 110, Capital City 103 Started; 37 minutes, 15 points, 6–11 FG, 3–7 3FG, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 fouls, 2 blocks, -4
Friday: Capital City 112, (at) Austin Spurs 96 Started; 36 minutes, 10 points, 4–11 FG, 2–5 3FG, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 fouls, 1 steal, 1 block, +24
Next game 8 p.m. Friday vs. Wisconsin Herd


Season statistics — 26 games, 5.3 points, 44.3 FG%, 36.8 3P%, 68.4 FT%, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.4 of a block
Wednesday: 115–97 win vs. Sioux Falls Skyforce Inactive for game
Next game 7 p.m. Friday at Noblesville Boom


Season statistics — 27 games, 18.4 points, 43.4 FG%, 39.3 3P%, 87.7 FT%, 4.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 0.9 of a steal
Tuesday: 121–107 win vs. College Park Skyhawks Started; 30 minutes, 21 points, 7–18 FG, 3–7 3FG, 2–3 FT, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 1 block, +17
Thursday: 125–118 win vs. Salt Lake City Stars Started; 34 minutes, 30 points, 11–22 FG, 4–7 3FG, 2–2 FT, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 fouls, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, +24
Next game 8:30 Saturday vs. Salt Lake City Stars


Season NBA statistics — 3 games, 11 minutes, 5 points, 2–3 FG, 1–1 3FG, 3 rebounds, 2 fouls, +13
Season G League statistics — 21 games, 14.6 points, 47.4 FG%, 29.6 3P%, 60.0 FT%, 11.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.9 of a steal
Tuesday: 116–107 win at Valley Suns Started; 27 minutes, 9 points, 4–12 FG, 0–2 3FG, 1–3 FT, 12 rebounds, 5 assist, 2 fouls 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 1 block, +5
Thursday: 119–115 loss vs. Stockton Kings Started; 30 minutes, 15 points, 5–14 FG, 0–1 3FG, 3–5 FT, 9 rebounds, 1 turnover, -5
Next game 11:30 a.m. Wednesday vs. Texas Legends


Season statistics — 21 games, 20.0 points, 49.5 FG%, 40.4 3P%, 92.5 FT%, 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.6 steals
Thursday: Noblesville Boom 95, Wisconsin 90 Started; 31 minutes, 23 points, 9–12 FG, 5–8 3FG, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 fouls, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, -2
Saturday: Noblesville Boom 117, Wisconsin 115 Started; 37 minutes, 25 points, 8–13 FG, 3–5 3FG, 3–3 FT, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 fouls, 1 steal, 6 turnovers, -17
Next game 2 p.m. Friday at Capital City Go-Go


Photo via @chicagobulls

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