Tar Heels in NBA: Anthony scores 23 in Magic loss; Bullock gets hurt; another Brooks double-double in the G League

Cole Anthony had one of his more productive games this season, but Orlando couldn’t overcome short-handed Milwaukee, playing without two All-Stars. Anthony scored a team-high 23 points, his third-highest scoring game this season, but Orlando lost at home 134–123 to Milwaukee, who played without Giannis Antetokounmpo (non-COVID-19 illness) and Jrue Holiday (sore neck).

Tar Heels in pros: Jackson pours in 36 with 7 3-pointers in G League shooting show; Barnes scores 14, draws first technical in 10 years

Justin Jackson would obviously prefer to still be on an NBA roster, but the plus side is that he’s getting plenty of playing time being back with the G League’s Texas Legends. To say that Jackson was shooting well from the start of Monday’s game would be an understatement. He scored four 3-pointers in the first five minutes, with every shot getting nothing but net.

Francis’ team wins league title, 16 in a row, headed for DII tournament; regular seasons end poorly for Platek, Garcia and Walton

Jeremiah Francis’ Emmanuel College team is on a roll and a conference champion headed to the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Lions (23–7) have won 16 consecutive games, including defeating Belmont Abbey 77–60 Sunday in the Conference Carolinas Tournament championship game in Spartanburg, S.C.

Good, Bad and Ugly Report: Duke on senior night

Stop me if you’ve heard this before … UNC has a second-half lead against a quality opponent with a chance to boost its postseason resume, yet finds a way to let the game get away with another close but disappointing loss. Or maybe you’ve heard this one before … Carolina is engaged in a rock fight against Duke, in a nail-biting, close game in the last four minutes, only to go ice-cold and unable to score more than two points down the stretch and the Blue Devils scratch out a win.

UNC’s pursuit of an ACC title begins Wednesday against either BC or Louisville

After a 62–57 loss to Duke in the regular-season finale, North Carolina likely has to win the ACC Tournament next weekend at the Greensboro Coliseum to make the NCAA tournament field. That pursuit will start at 7 p.m. on Wednesday (ESPN2) in the second round as the No. 7 seed against the winner of Tuesday’s 4:30 first-round game between No. 10-seed Boston College (15–16) and No. 15-seed Louisville (2–18).

Tar Heels in NBA: Johnson celebrates birthday with 20 points as Nets rally to upset Celtics; Barnes, Anthony and Bullock all have big games in wins

Cameron Johnson and Harrison Barnes each scored 20 points, and Cole Anthony hit 16 as all three earned victories Friday night after Reggie Bullock scored 15 in a Thursday win. Johnson scored 17 points in the second half as Brooklyn rallied from a 28-point deficit for a surprising 115–105 road win over Boston on his 27th birthday.

Tar Heels in NBA: Season-highs for Johnson, Anthony, who combine to score 61 points but their teams combine to lose by 46; White hits 14

Cameron Johnson and Cole Anthony had their best scoring games of the season on a night that they were one of the few bright spots in their teams’ blowout road losses. Both had season-highs for points and field goals and their second-best game scores, along with frustration over the results of their games.

Tar Heels in NBA: Barnes scores 29, leads Kings to fourth straight win; Johnson, Bullock have good games

Without Sacramento’s leading scorer De’Aaron Fox, Kings coach Mike Brown made Harrison Barnes the focal point of their offense on Tuesday night, and the 11-year veteran took advantage of the opportunity. Barnes came through with 29 points, four 3-pointers, nine rebounds, three assists and a 24.2 game score as Sacramento won at Oklahoma City 123–117 for the Kings’ fourth consecutive victory coming out of the All-Star break.

UNC moves up in NET, but most projections still don’t have Heels in men’s field

After three consecutive ACC victories, North Carolina is up to 45th in the NET rankings and improving its NCAA tournament resume with Selection Sunday a week from Sunday. The Tar Heels (19–11, 11–8 ACC) have done what they can control with wins over Notre Dame, Virginia and Florida State and have a chance for their second Quad 1 win Saturday at home against Duke, which is 24th in the NET rankings.