UNC men's basketball stops Pittsburgh for 6th consecutive win

The flex, then the scream, were visceral.

North Carolina forward James Michael McAdoo, with 1:18 left in the first half of North Carolina’s resilient, 75-71 win against No. 25 Pittsburgh (20-6, 8-5 ACC) on Saturday at the Smith Center, received the ball along the right wing.

With no indecision and one move, he propelled past Pittsburgh’s Jamel Artis, rose over 6-foot-10, 260-pound Joseph Uchebo and powered the ball through the white nylon.

Panthers coach Jamie Dixon burned a timeout as McAdoo bounced, flexed and released an unrefined, impassioned scream before bumping chests with teammates near UNC’s bench.

The play, and its aftermath, characterized McAdoo’s game — aggressive, powerful and resolute — and put UNC (17-7, 7-4 ) up by six, 35-29, just before halftime.

So much was distinct about the Tar Heels’ telling win on Saturday, their sixth in a row: players wore Google Glasses during warm-ups, the crowd was striped and welcomed Tyler Hansbrough, and Sean May and Kendall Marshall live-tweeted the game from the baseline.

But what fueled it was no different than the other games during the streak: the duo of McAdoo and point guard Marcus Paige carrying the Tar Heels and providing points when they most need it.

“James Michael and Marcus,” coach Roy Williams said after the game, searching for words as he perused the box score. “My gosh.”

Paige has played 33 minutes or more in every game during the streak.

McAdoo has played at least 30 in four of the six games.

One of the two has led UNC in scoring in every one of those games but one.

Saturday was no deviation: McAdoo scored 24 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in 37 minutes, and Paige had 18 with five 3-pointers in 38 minutes. McAdoo looked to score every time he touched the ball, sometimes even before he had it: soft jumpers, strong finishes at the rim and one of his signature steal-and-slams late in the first half.

“Every day we show up ready to play,” McAdoo said after the game, shoes off, his trademark stern look on his face, “we are capable of doing a lot of good things.”

McAdoo’s performance, by most measures, has improved with the team’s.

In UNC’s first five ACC games — one win and four losses — McAdoo averaged 13.6 points and 7.8 rebounds; in the past five games those numbers are 17.4 and 9.2, respectively. Saturday’s 24-and-12 double-double was his fifth of the season and second during the streak.

Experts, fans and reporters have all formulated theories as to why McAdoo is suddenly more assertive and dynamic. They’re wasting their time, Williams said. The forward is a work in progress, and he’s still progressing.

“Every day,” the coach said, “he tries to get better.”

Brice Johnson, UNC’s other fiery big man, said little has changed for McAdoo off the court.

“Still the same guy,” Johnson said. “Does the same things. Prepares the same way. He works out after every practice the same way. Nothing’s really changed.”

If McAdoo is the prince of the paint, Paige is the owner of the outside.

His five 3-pointers Saturday, including a four-point play, were his ACC career-high, and he leads the team in scoring, with 17.1 points a game.

More important, though, is not that he is simply scoring, but when he is scoring: after the four-point play, which he completed from the top of the key with 1:49 left in the first half, UNC led for the rest of the game.

“I have started to get into my form of shooting above 40 percent,” Paige said, “and as a shooter that’s where you want to be from three.”

With just fewer than 90 seconds left in the first half, Artis missed a three, and Paige pulled down the rebound and started in transition.

He found McAdoo on the right wing and watched as the forward moved past the defender, score, then let out a scream.

sports@dailytarheel.com