UNC Basketball: Cole Anthony has his best performance of the season

Former UNC basketball standout Cole Anthony had his best performance of the season on Friday night against the San Antonio Spurs.

Cole Anthony has had quite a few impressive games during his young NBA career. However, you could make the case that Friday’s outing was the best so far from the former UNC basketball standout.

In 31 minutes off the bench, Anthony scored a game-high 23 points while knocking down eight of his 10 shot attempts. He was one assist shy of a triple-double, as he also recorded 10 rebounds to go along with 9 assists.

His performance played a huge role in the Orlando Magic securing a 20-point victory over the San Antonio Spurs. With the victory, the Magic have now won eight of their last 9 contests, as they are currently one of the hottest teams in the entire NBA.

This season has been a bit different for the former Tar Heel, as he’s mostly used in a reserve role. Coming into this season, Anthony started in 99 of the 112 games he appeared in during his first two seasons with the Magic.

However, he seems to be embracing his new role well, as he’s shooting the ball much more effectively. Currently, he’s shooting 45.2 percent from the floor (a 4.1 percent increase from a season ago). He is also connecting on 37.3 percent of his three-point attempts, which is 3.5 percent higher than he did during his sophomore season.

The Magic possess a roster full of young talent, and Anthony is certainly included in that mix. Of course, Anthony strives to be a starter and has the potential to do so in the NBA, but him thriving in his current role is a major boost for the Magic organization at this point in time.

Follow us @KeepingItHeel on Twitter and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of UNC basketball news, updates, and recruiting.