Marcus Paige called up to the Charlotte Hornets

While the sting of Carolina’s abrupt NCAA tournament exit is still fresh, it’s nice to see that a former Tar Heel still has that March mojo.

This game-winning floater capped an impressive 17-point performance from Paige, who has been tearing it up recently in the G League for the Greensboro Swarm. Just days before he hit that shot, Paige recorded a career-high 33 points to go along with 4 steals in a close loss to the Delaware 87ers.

Paige, who is signed to a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets, is averaging 15.2 points and 4.5 assists on the season.

The Hornets have taken notice of Paige’s play as of late. Yesterday, they called Paige up to the team just in time for their home game against the Grizzlies, who feature another former Tar Heel and Paige’s roommate for four years, Brice Johnson.

The Hornets defeated the Grizzlies in a 140-79 beatdown. Johnson recorded 2 points and 2 rebounds in 14 minutes for the Grizz. Meanwhile, Paige logged 12 minutes while putting up a respectable 9 points on 3-6 shooting. All of his minutes came towards the end of the game when the outcome had already been decided.

Still, it’s encouraging to see Paige get an opportunity to showcase his skills in the NBA. His future in the league remains somewhat hazy in that his current contract means he’ll likely soon be back in the G League. Paige’s play speaks for itself, though, so hopefully before long he’ll find himself in a more permanent standing with the Hornets.