Tar Heels in NBA: Bullock’s best game of season comes in Mavs’ Christmas rout of Lakers; Green’s recovery progressing

Reggie Bullock played through a neck strain on Sunday, but that didn’t faze him before a national television audience in his best game of the season. Meanwhile, there was news about Danny Green’s recovery from offseason knee surgery. Starting his fifth consecutive game, Bullock scored a season-high 14 points, tying his season-high with four 3-pointers and dishing out a season-high four assists as the Dallas Mavericks rolled to a 124–115 Christmas Day home victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Tar Heels in NBA: Anthony misses triple-double by one assist as Orlando earns 8th win in 9 games; Pinson hits 2 3s

One assist away from his first triple-double since high school, Cole Anthony dribbled out the final seconds of the Orlando Magic’s eighth win in the last nine games. Anthony scored a game-high 23 points and four 3-pointers as the Magic rolled to a 133–113 home victory Friday night over the San Antonio Spurs. Orlando’s 5–20 start to the season feels like a distant memory for the surging team.

Tar Heels in NBA: Barnes earns bling with defense, scores 19 in Kings win; Anthony hits 14 as Magic pull upset at Boston

Harrison Barnes keeps playing good all-around games, and it’s no coincidence that the Sacramento Kings are having one of their best seasons in years. He’s getting the job done on defense, and has the bling to prove it. Barnes made huge plays down the stretch as Sacramento ended a six-game Eastern Conference road trip with a 122–113 victory at Detroit on Friday night.

Tar Heels in NBA: Anthony keeps producing off bench for surging Magic; Barnes, Bullock, White each score 12

Cole Anthony keeps producing efficient minutes off the bench, and Orlando keeps winning, something the third-year pro hasn’t seen much of with the Magic. Anthony contributed 13 points, five rebounds and six assists while playing good defense in 20 minutes as Orlando rolled to a 135–124 home victory Wednesday night over the Atlanta Hawks for their first four-game win streak since his rookie season.

Tar Heels in NBA: Sharpe starts, ties career-highs in points, rebounds with double-double as short-handed Nets win

Day’Ron Sharpe got a golden chance to show what he could do in the NBA and, despite playing for a short-handed team, he started and put up a double-double in an amazing Brooklyn Nets win. Sharpe tied his career-highs with 20 points and 12 rebounds in a career-high 32 minutes as the Nets rallied to win Saturday at Indiana 136–133. They did it despite playing without Kevin Durant (knee), Kyrie Irving (adductor), Nic Claxton (hamstring), Joe Harris (ankle), Royce O’Neale (personal reasons) and Seth Curry (ankle), with only nine players available.

Tar Heels in NBA: Anthony efficient off bench in Magic win; Barnes scores 20 in big Kings road win; Sharpe back in NBA

Cole Anthony hasn’t started for Orlando since his return from injury six games ago, but he scored in double figures for the fifth time, and the Magic have won back-to-back games for the second time this season. Anthony collected 18 points, five assists and three rebounds in 23 minutes of the Magic’s 113–109 home victory Friday over the Toronto Raptors.