Cole Anthony had awesome reaction to helping the Magic book their playoff spot

After the season he's had, you've got to feel pretty dang good for former North Carolina star guard Cole Anthony. The former 5-star UNC signee has been going through an up-and-down campaign, battling a nagging toe injury of late with the Orlando Magic.

On Tuesday night, though, Anthony stole the show and came up huge in the play-in tournament game against the Atlanta Hawks. Not only did Anthony play a role in ending the season for Trae Young, but he now has the Magic getting ready for a series against the mighty Boston Celtics.

Following the final whistle on Tuesday, Anthony was all smiles and understandably so. After the adversity he has had to deal with, there's no question that his 26-point showing in a win-or-go-home showdown meant the world to him:

Cole Anthony was overcome with emotion after helping Orlando beat Atlanta

During the regular season, Anthony averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. He appeared in 67 contests, posting only 22 starts. With the season on the line for Orlando, did anyone think the guard would be the one to be the difference maker?

In the 120-95 win for Orlando, the Hawks made things interesting in the second half - Atlanta looked like it was going to wipe away a huge deficit and take the lead. However, Anthony and the Magic tightened things up and were able to dominate things in the fourth quarter to secure the W.

In 20 minutes played, Anthony could not be stopped. He finished the night going 10-of-17 from the floor, including 4-of-9 on his attempts from downtown. He added six assists, which only made things better for him.

Orlando obviously is a massive underdog for the series against Boston, but a healthy Anthony will look to make even more noise against the reigning champs. His reaction to his fantastic showing against Atlanta is something North Carolina fans can appreciate too.