UNC Basketball: NBA Tar Heels shine on Monday night

A trio of former UNC basketball players stood out for their respective NBA teams on Monday night.

The Portland Trail Blazers withstood a sensational 56-point performance from Atlanta Hawks All-Star point guard Trae Young on Monday night, thanks in part to the contributions of rising third-year wing Nassir Little.

In a 136-131 victory at the Moda Center in Portland, Little scored 22 points and pulled down nine rebounds for the Blazers in 36 minutes of play. He hit 8-of-14 shots for the game and 4-of-5 from three-point range to go along with two assists, one steal and just one turnover.

Monday night’s game against the Hawks marked Little’s 10th consecutive start, that after getting just two starts over the previous 26 games. Of course, with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum currently out of the rotation, the team has a lot fewer options for the starting five and giving Little the nod is a no-brainer.

Coby White was back on the bench on Monday night following the return of Lonzo Ball to the Chicago Bulls’ rotation. Ball, similar to White a couple of weeks ago, was in the NBA’s health and safety protocols thanks to a positive COVID-19 test. But White, having seemingly hit his stride over the past several games, was just as effective coming into the game off the Chicago bench.

The former UNC point guard, who played his lone season in Chapel Hill with fellow one-and-done and 2019 NBA Draft pick Nassir Little, scored 17 points in a 102-98 win over the Orlando Magic. He went 7-for-11 from the floor, including 2-for-5 from beyond the arc and 1-for-1 at the free throw line. He added two rebounds, two assists and one block, while turning the ball over just once in 35 minutes of play.

It was the sixth double-digit scoring game for White in his last seven, a span in which he’s averaged 17.6 points and shot 47 percent from long-range. And although his role on the team and future with the organization are a bit unclear, White has at least proven that he’s a valuable reserve on the Chicago bench and an attractive asset on the trade market.

Reggie Bullock had another nice showing for the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night, scoring 15 points in a reserve role against the Denver Nuggets in a battle between two of the NBA’s most disappointing teams this season.

Bullock played 29 minutes in his team’s 103-89 victory, connecting on 5-of-11 shots from the floor and 4-of-8 three-pointers. He also recorded two rebounds, one assist and one steal, and didn’t commit a single turnover.

It was just the third time in two months that Bullock has scored double-digit points and the seventh time all season. In what has been a disappointing season for the former UNC sharpshooter to this point, Bullock went into Monday night’s game averaging just six points, 2.8 rebounds and one assist per game and shooting a career-low 29.4 percent from three-point range.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for more on UNC basketball alumni throughout the NBA and around the globe.