NBA Notes: Magic, Anthony Black, Pelicans, Jose Alvarado, Bulls, Trentyn Flowers

Magic

Third-year guard Anthony Black delivered the best performance of his young career Saturday, pouring in a career-high 38 points as the Magic rallied to defeat Denver, Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel reports.

The win came on the second night of a back-to-back after a disappointing loss to Charlotte. Orlando trailed by as many as 17 points in the third quarter before flipping the game by forcing turnovers and capitalizing in transition.

Black was at the center of it all, shooting 14-of-24 from the field and 7-of-11 from three-point range. The 21-year-old also added six rebounds, five assists and two steals in 30 minutes, finishing plus-six.

“He’s put the work in,” Desmond Bane said. “He laid the foundation for a great season with the way he approached the summer. I’m really happy for his growth. He’s a special player and he’s only going to get better.”

Known primarily for his defense earlier in his career, Black has expanded his offensive game in Year Three and should be part of the Most Improved Player conversation, according to Josh Cohen of the team’s website.

“Confidence stepping into a shot, playing the right way,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “When he gets that ball in his hands, he’s looking to attack downhill, step into shots, and take on the challenge defensively.”

Pelicans

Tempers flared late in the third quarter of Saturday’s game in New Orleans, resulting in ejections for Jose Alvarado of thePelicans and Mark Williams of the Suns, as relayed by Rashad Milligan of NOLA.com.

The incident began when Alvarado shoved Williams while he was setting a screen. Williams responded with his own two-handed shove, escalating the exchange. Despite the significant size difference, Alvarado confronted Williams, grabbing his arm and jersey as a brief scuffle followed.

Both players threw right-handed punches that appeared to connect, and Williams also appeared to punch downward with his left hand as officials and teammates intervened. Both were immediately ejected.

After Phoenix’s win, Suns coach Jordan Ott said he hadn’t reviewed the video.

“I saw it start, and then all of a sudden everyone jumped in,” Ott said. “Second night of a back-to-back, lack of sleep, something always tends to happen.”

Given the NBA’s history with on-court altercations involving punches, discipline in the form of fines or suspensions is expected.

Bulls

Interest from the college ranks in Trentyn Flowers has become increasingly murky.

Joe Tipton of On3 initially reported that multiple power-conference programs — including Kentucky, Michigan, Kansas and Florida — were monitoring Flowers, a second-year wing currently on a two-way contract with the Bulls.

However, Matt Norlander of CBS Sports later reported that three of the 12 programs Tipton identified denied any involvement.

“Not even sure how we got on that list,” one school official told Norlander. “No one on our staff has had any contact with anyone associated with him.”

Flowers, a former top-25 high school recruit in 2023, opted to play professionally in Australia with the Adelaide 36ers instead of attending Louisville, then went undrafted in 2024.

While NCAA eligibility rules technically do not allow players with NBA experience to return to college, recent precedent has emboldened programs to explore the possibility. Knicks draft-and-stash center James Nnaji enrolling at Baylor earlier this month after being selected in the 2023 draft has only added fuel to that trend.

For now, Flowers remains on Chicago’s two-way contract, but the situation shows just how increasingly blurry the lines between college and professional basketball have become.