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UNC Basketball: Harrison Barnes stays hot, nets 24 against Warriors

By Blake Cockrum

Oct 24, 2021; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) dunks the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2021; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) dunks the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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The former UNC basketball player hasn’t scored less than 24 points in a game to begin the season.

Following a pair of sensational performances last week in which he averaged 30.5 points and 12 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 59 percent from three-point range, Sacramento Kings small forward Harrison Barnes kept his hot start going in a home game against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night.

The former Tar Heel and 10-year NBA veteran scored a team-high 24 points in a 119-107 defeat that wasn’t decided until the game’s final minutes. It’s the third time in as many games that Barnes has led the Kings in scoring. He hit 7-of-13 shots for the game, 5-of-10 from behind the arc and 5-of-8 at the foul line. He also pulled down seven rebounds and dished out one assist in a game-high 36 minutes of play.

https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings/status/1452501423900409864

It’s certainly been an impressive start to the season for Barnes, who’s currently averaging 28.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. His shooting numbers are gaudy, to say the least, as he’s knocking down 50 percent of his total shots and 55.6 percent of them from three-point range. And even though he had a few uncharacteristic misses at the charity stripe on Sunday night, his free throw percentage is still close to 80 percent — a mark that he hasn’t dipped below since the 2015-16 season.

Barnes is leading the NBA with 15 made three-pointers, just ahead of a second-place tie between LeBron James and Stephen Curry at 14. He’s ninth in scoring, 13th in PER (Player Efficiency Rating) and 21st in rebounding. And his three-point percentage ranks 12th in the league among players who have attempted at least four shots per game from long-range.

Barnes and the Kings will be back on the court Wednesday night in a tough road game against the Phoenix Suns. We’ll see then if he can keep his hot streak alive.

Next. Highlights of UNC's scrimmage at Florida. dark

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on Harrison Barnes, and UNC basketball alumni throughout the league.

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