CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Henri Veesaar matched a season-high with 26 points, Seth Trimble scored 20 points, and No. 18 North Carolina pulled away in the second half to beat Virginia Tech 89-82 on Saturday night.
Jonathan Powell got 15 points off the bench, 13 of which came before halftime.
The Tar Heels (23-6, 11-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) opened their first double-digit lead at 73-63 with 6:59 left on a hook shot by Veesaar, who added seven rebounds and was 11 of 20 from the floor. It was his third time with 26 points this season, most recently in a 95-90 loss to Stanford on Jan. 14.
The Hokies pulled within five with 2:45 remaining, but North Carolina closed it out despite making just one field goal over the final 6:22.
Neoklis Avdalas finished with 19 points for the Hokies (18-11, 7-9), who lost for the third time in four games. Tobi Lawal and Ben Hammond had 16 points apiece.
North Carolina played without leading scorer and rebounder Caleb Wilson for the fifth straight game. The star freshman fractured his left hand against Miami on Feb. 10. The Tar Heels are now 4-1 in his absence.
Virginia Tech went scoreless for 3:03 early as the Tar Heels capitalized with nine straight points to go up 21-16. They twice extended their lead to eight, but the teams ended the half deadlocked at 44-44.
The Tar Heels improved to 17-0 at home, matching their most wins in a season at the Dean E. Smith Center. They were 17-1 in 2011-12.
Virginia Tech: Hosts Boston College on Tuesday night.
North Carolina: Hosts Clemson on Tuesday night.
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Virginia Tech forwards Tobi Lawal (1) and Amani Hansberry, second from right, battle North Carolina forward Jarin Stevenson, second from left, and center Henri Veesaar, right, for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
Virginia Tech forward Tobi Lawal dunks against North Carolina during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
North Carolina guard Luka Bogavac (44) drives against Virginia Tech guard Neoklis Avdalas (17) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder guard Lu Dort was ejected as tempers flared in the fourth quarter of Oklahoma City's 127-121 overtime victory over Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.
Dort fouled Jokic, and the Denver star got in Dort's face. A scrum ensued and Jokic and Oklahoma City's Jaylin Williams were called for offsetting technical fouls. Dort was issued a Flagrant 2 and ejected.
The situation was brewing from the start. The Thunder beat Denver 4-3 in the Western Conference semifinals last season, and the Nuggets — especially Jokic — were committed to matching Oklahoma City's aggressive style.
Dort was a first-team All-Defensive selection last season with a reputation for pushing the boundaries of acceptable physical play. Crew chief James Williams said after the game that Dort's hip check/trip combination was dangerous.
“Lu Dort was assessed a flagrant foul penalty 2 because we deemed his contact on Jokic to be unnecessary and excessive with a high potential for injury, and also because the contact led to an altercation that did not dissolve,” James Williams said. "So, by rule, a flagrant foul penalty 2 carries an automatic ejection."
Jokic, who had initiated contact with Thunder players throughout the game rather than letting it come to him, finally had enough.
“It’s an unnecessary move and a necessary reaction," Jokic said. "I think there are not supposed to be those things on the basketball floor, so it was just an unnecessary move and a necessary reaction by me.”
Nuggets coach David Adelman said he understood why Jokic finally snapped. He feels Jokic gets beat up when he's away from the basket and doesn't get the calls because of his 7-foot, 284-pound frame.
“I think he was reacting to what was being done to him," Adelman said. "And his reaction’s not going to be cower away. He’s competitive.”
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said he's fine with the ejection, as long as the call is consistent.
“If J. Will (Jaylin Williams) is running off the floor and gets tripped, we expect a flagrant 2 from this point forward,” Daigneault said. “That’s all. If that’s the precedent, if it becomes a malicious play, and flagrant 2 is the line in the sand on that, we would expect that if it’s J. Will, we’d expect that it’s anybody. And if that is the case, we’re good.”
Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was called for a technical in the opening minutes when he threw the ball at Jokic, who made high contact with him after play had stopped. James Williams said he did not consider the contact by Jokic's left forearm to be unsportsmanlike.
Denver's bench was called for a technical in the third quarter, and there was plenty of trash talking and shoving throughout.
The teams meet March 9 in Oklahoma City.
"When we play them again, whatever it is, in like 10 days, I’m sure it’ll be the exact same way,” Adelman said.
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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, left, drives past Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein, center, and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) falls into Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) as he goes after a rebound during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, second from left, goes after the ball in front of Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, drives past Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
