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Coby White has settled in to his role of coming off the Chicago Bulls’ bench with the return of Lonzo Ball the last two games but the outstanding games keep coming. In 31 minutes, White was 7 of 8 from the floor for 21 points and four 3-pointers with three assists as the host Bulls beat the Washington Wizards 130–122 for their ninth consecutive victory.
The Phoenix Suns became the first team to win 30 games this season and Cameron Johnson has been an important part of getting them there. In the Suns’ 106–89 home victory Thursday over the Los Angeles Clippers, he scored a career-high and team-high 24 points, in addition to pulling down seven rebounds, blocking two shots and getting a steal. That topped his previous-best scoring game of 22 against Denver earlier this season on Nov. 21.
RALEIGH — It wasn’t the first cold shooting start for No. 19 North Carolina this season. But it was the first time that an opponent seized on the opportunity to deliver an early knockout blow.A seasoned, experienced opponent will make you pay and No. 5 N.C. State (13–2, 4–0 ACC) cashed in early on its way to an easy 72–45 victory Thursday at Reynolds Coliseum to end UNC’s unbeaten streak at 13.
Two Tar Heels in Philadelphia’s 116–106 victory at Orlando couldn’t have had more contrasting games. While Cole Anthony put up plenty of big numbers, Danny Green put up plenty of zeros.
Trying to fix North Carolina’s defensive problems has been an ongoing process that hit another speed bump Wednesday night. Armando Bacot didn’t care that he collected 21 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. He called the Tar Heels’ effort embarrassing.
To say that Cameron Johnson has been shooting well understates what he’s meant to the Phoenix Suns in recent weeks. Stephen Curry may have become the NBA’s all-time 3-pointers leader, but he hasn’t had a streak this season to match Johnson. Johnson’s career-high-tying five 3-pointers in the Suns’ 123–110 win at New Orleans extended his franchise-record streak of games with at least two 3s to 20, the longest streak in the NBA this season. Curry’s best such streak this season is 17.
After the No. 19 North Carolina women easily navigated the nonconference schedule and the first three games of the ACC season with numerous one-sided victories, the challenges are about to ramp up dramatically. The Tar Heels (13–0, 3–0 ACC) will face their first ranked opponents of the season as conference games fill the rest of the schedule in one of the two best leagues in the country. The ACC and the SEC are the only conferences with six ranked teams and one of three, along with the Pac 12, with two top-10 teams.
Nassir Little had his best game of the season Monday on a night when Danny Green and Day’Ron Sharpe returned from the NBA’s health-and-safety protocols and the return of Lonzo Ball meant that Coby White was back to coming off the Chicago bench.
The way that Notre Dame coach Mike Brey sees it, Carolina basketball has “downshifted” under first-year coach Hubert Davis, and that had him doing double-takes when scouting the Tar Heels. When his Irish play host to the Tar Heels at 9 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN2), Brey won’t see the traditional double low-post offense that he knew well when they were coached by Dean Smith, Bill Guthridge and Roy Williams.
Undefeated North Carolina moved up five slots to No. 19 in the latest AP Top 25 women’s poll as the team keeps piling up impressive victories. The Tar Heels (13–0, 3–0 ACC), one of three remaining unbeaten teams in the country along with Colorado (11–0) and Arizona (10–0), won two ACC games at home last week, beating Syracuse 79–43 on Thursday and Clemson 81–62 on Sunday.
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