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With five games left in the regular season, Siena is in a battle for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title, thanks to another big performance Sunday from Andrew Platek. Platek scored 18 points and four 3-pointers, with four rebounds and three assists, as the Saints earned a 73–65 home victory over Marist. It was Platek’s sixth game this season with at least 18 points and seventh with three or more assists. Platek was +19 in 29 minutes.
Well, that didn’t last long. After arguably their best performance of the season on Saturday against Clemson, UNC came out and gave 19th-ranked Miami a great run for a half, before the old bugaboos made a return, and the Tar Heels missed a big chance to put a good win on the resume, falling 80-72 to the Hurricanes at the Smith Center.
CHAPEL HILL — For one half, it looked like it might be a night where Carolina starts the early process of flipping the switch on the season. As one 3-point attempt after another rattled off the rim in the second half, it was apparent that Miami would have none of that.
By the time the Tar Heels tried to fight back in the last 10 minutes, it was too late as No. 15 Miami held on for an 80–72 victory Monday at the Smith Center.
Hear what RJ Davis, Armando Bacot and Caleb Love had to say after UNC’s rally against Miami falls short.
Cameron Johnson joined the new-look Brooklyn Nets, and was one of four newcomers who started in Saturday night’s home game against Philadelphia. Johnson and Mikal Bridges, nicknamed “The Twins” by former Suns teammate Deandre Ayton because they spent so much time together, each started in the Nets’ 101–98 loss to the Sixers. Joining them in the lineup were Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney, who Brooklyn got in the Kyrie Irving deal with the Dallas Mavericks.
Now that’s more like it. After a blech performance at Wake Forest on Tuesday night in a game where UNC was expected to play with some urgency, followed by Armando Bacot questioning his team, a players-only meeting, and a social media kerfuffle about possible issues on the squad, Carolina responded on Saturday with a 91–71 drubbing of formerly league-leading Clemson at the Smith Center.
CHAPEL HILL — Before Pete Nance transferred to Carolina, Puff Johnson would likely have been penciled in to replace Brady Manek in the starting lineup. Coming to UNC from Northwestern for his fifth season, Nance automatically got that spot, and he’s had good games and big moments, most notably his shot to send the Ohio State game into overtime.
Armando Bacot, RJ Davis and Caleb Love talk about the blowout win over Clemson and how a players-only meeting after practice on Thursday helped going into the game.
CHAPEL HILL — The passion and energy that didn’t show up until it was too late against Wake Forest were there in heavy doses Saturday against Clemson. With the Tar Heels dominating inside and finding the shooting range from the perimeter, they earned a must win, knocking off co-ACC leader Clemson 91–71 to snap a three-game losing streak. After UNC’s best offensive game of the season, it will need to sustain that through its upcoming games to solidify its NCAA resume.
Danny Green is with Houston after the Rockets acquired him in a trade-deadline deal with Memphis on Thursday, but it appears unlikely that he’ll be there long. Justin Jackson’s stay with Oklahoma City Thunder lasted less than 24 hours as the Thunder waived him Friday. In Friday games, Reggie Bullock scored 13 points and his 800th career 3-pointer as Dallas beat Sacramento 122–114, and rookie Walker Kessler netted a season-high 23 points in Utah’s 122–116 win at Toronto.
UNC coach Hubert Davis talks about how his team has responded after the frustrating loss at Wake Forest and long discussions after the game.
When the trade deadline dust settled, three UNC alums changed teams. But Cole Anthony isn’t going anywhere and he showed why with his play in Orlando’s big home victory. Anthony collected 17 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three blocks as the Magic knocked off Western Conference-leading Denver for a 115–104 home victory Thursday night.
The bigger news for UNC alums was that the Phoenix Suns are reportedly trading Cameron Johnson to Brooklyn (more on that deal here), but the flurry of trades ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline has worked quite nicely so far for Reggie Bullock. After starting only 30 of the Dallas Mavericks’ 52 games, Bullock is back as a Mavericks starter and playing well. He scored 15 of 18 points and five of his six 3-pointers in the first quarter Wednesday as Dallas earned a 110–104 road victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Just when Cameron Johnson was settling into a groove with Phoenix after missing nearly three months with a knee injury, the Suns will reportedly trade him to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a blockbuster trade that will send star forward Kevin Durant to Phoenix. The NBA trade deadline is at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Somewhere in America, someone woke up on Wednesday morning and saw UNC’s 92–85 loss at Wake Forest and said, “I’ll bet that was a competitive game, a decent loss for UNC since Wake plays well at home and it’s tough to win on the road in the ACC.” And they would be wrong.
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