After spending five seasons with UNC Basketball and playing in a school-record 155 career games with the Tar Heels, Leaky Black appears to be finally breaking out at the professional level.
Black, 24, who went undrafted but stayed in North Carolina this summer and signed a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets, had the best performance of his young NBA career Sunday afternoon.
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The Black and Hornets (21-61) defeated the Cavaliers (48-34) in the final game of the regular season, scoring 11 points, six rebounds and five assists in 32 minutes. 120-110 road win. The defensive specialist was a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals while also adding two steals and a block.
Black set career highs in both minutes played and assists, and tied the best marks by an NBA player in both points and rebounds. The 6-foot-6 forward from Concord, North Carolina, has seen some increased playing time throughout the season, recording double-digit minutes in eight of the last nine games.
The former Tar Heel appeared in 25 games this season, averaging 2.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists in just over 10 minutes per game.
Pete Nance, the Cavaliers' only UNC basketball alumnus and a former teammate of Black's, played a career-high 12 minutes off the bench Sunday. The 24-year-old forward, who signed a two-way contract with Cleveland in February, had three points and a rebound in the loss.
Nance's 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter marked the Ohio State native's first NBA bucket in eight games this season.
Pete Nance and Leaky Black are looking to break into their respective teams' rotations next season.
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