UNC Basketball: Cole Anthony ON FIRE in Magic victory over T-Wolves

Former UNC basketball standout Cole Anthony continues to impress in Orlando, scoring 31 points for the Magic on Monday night and narrowly missing a triple-double in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The slow start that Orlando Magic point guard Cole Anthony got off to this season is long gone now, as the former Tar Heel is putting up big numbers night after night against the NBA’s Eastern Conference.

Monday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves was just the latest example of Anthony’s obvious star-power and upside, as he lit up Karl Anthony-Towns and company for a game-high and season-high 31 points in a 115-97 Orlando victory. And he did it on another terrific shooting performance that included 8-of-17 from the floor, 6-of-11 from three-point range and 9-of-11 at the free throw line.

After scoring just 10 points in each of his first two games of the season, Anthony has notched at least 24 points in four of the team’s last six. And despite connecting on just 6-of-26 (23 percent) from the floor and 3-of-14 (21.4 percent) from beyond the arc in those first two games, he’s shot 46-for-90 (51.1 percent) and 22-for-42 (52.3 percent), respectively, in the half-dozen since.

Not only is Anthony putting up big scoring numbers for the Magic, but he’s also affecting the game in a number of other ways. In Monday night’s outstanding offensive showing, the former Tar Heel added nine rebounds and a game-high eight assists, narrowly missing a triple-double for the second time in a week. He added two steals and a block, and recorded a game-high plus-19 plus/minus in a season-best 38 minutes of play.

Now, Anthony is averaging 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game, while boasting the league’s 54th-highest PER (Player Efficiency Rating) at 20.56. He’s also shooting better than 44.6 percent from long-range, and 81.3 percent at the foul line. On top of that, he’s currently sitting at a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Anthony and the Magic will be back on the court on Wednesday night when they take on the Boston Celtics at the Amway Center in Orlando.

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