UNC Basketball: Cole Anthony scores 19 points in Magic victory

Former UNC basketball standout and Orlando Magic rookie guard Cole Anthony scores 19 points in 120-117 victory over Charlotte Hornets

Orlando Magic rookie point guard Cole Anthony had his best game of the preseason on Saturday night when he scored 19 points off the bench in a 120-117 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

He did it on a 7-for-14 shooting performance, including 2-for-5 from three-point range and 3-for-3 from the free throw line. What’s more is that Anthony had the go-ahead basket that gave Orlando the lead with less than 15 seconds remaining in the game.

https://twitter.com/OrlandoMagic/status/1340482473533313027

Anthony, who’s averaging 13.8 points per game, has now connected on 20-of-41 shots from the floor in four preseason games, and 8-of-17 from beyond the arc. He’s also converted 7-of-9 attempts from the charity stripe, and dished out nearly four assists per game. And although Anthony has struggled to take care of the basketball the way he’d have liked to — committing 12 turnovers in 93 minutes of play — he’s showing the kind of potential and upside that NBA scouts and general managers saw in him when he was a senior at Oak Hill Academy two years ago.

If Anthony can continue scoring at a high clip, as well as cut down on his turnovers while proving capable of being the team’s primary facilitator and distributor, he could easily work his way into the Orlando starting lineup. We’ve already seen better decision-making and shot selection from Anthony during his short time with the Magic than we did during his 22 games at North Carolina.

Anthony and the Magic play their first regular game of the season on Wednesday when they take on the Miami Heat at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on Cole Anthony, and UNC basketball alumni throughout the NBA.