D-Fenders Come Up Short In Battle With Thunderbirds
February 21, 2010 - NBA G League (G League)
Los Angeles D-Fenders News Release
Los Angeles, CA - The Los Angeles D-Fenders battled late in the game but the Albuquerque Thunderbirds captured the win, 101-95 at the Toyota Sports Center. The two teams battled in front of a packed house with 350 fans.
Los Angeles trailed by eight at the close of the first quarter, Albuquerque leading 32-24. The D-Fenders out rebounded their opponent 13-8 but the T-Birds shot 54.5 percent from the field and forced eight turnovers early on which contributed to Albuquerque's first quarter lead.
The D-Fenders fired back in the second quarter with Frank Robinson nailing a long three pointer bringing the D-Fenders within two points. A dunk from Dar Tucker, the 2010 NBA D-League dunk contest champion, tied the score at 36 points apiece and sent the crowd roaring. Albuquerque's tough defense forced Los Angeles to commit 12 turnovers at the end of the first half, resulting in 17 points for the T-Birds.
James Wright led Los Angeles with 13 points going into the second half. Albuquerque's Carlos Powell brought in 18 points, while teammate Antoine Agudio added 12 of his own, wrapping up the half with a 60-51 lead.
D-Fenders' Horace Wormely hit a 35-foot three pointer at the buzzer, closing the third quarter 83-73. Albuquerque outscored Los Angeles 23-22 in the third quarter, contributing to their 10 point advantage at the end of the period.
Los Angeles rallied in the fourth quarter, cutting their deficit down to three points (98-95) with 1:03 left in the game. Although Diamon Simpson grabbed seven points and seven rebounds in the fourth quarter, Los Angeles fell short in the final minute, 101-95.
The Los Angeles D-Fenders had six players in double-figures, including Simpson with a team high 17 points and 11 rebounds. Carlos Powell and Shane Edwards carried Albuquerque with 25 and 21 points respectively, while teammate Kurt Looby chipped in with 15 rebounds.
The D-Fenders take on the Utah Flash Friday, February 26 at 3:30pm at STAPLES Center. Tune in to the NBA Futurecast at www.nba.com/futurecast to watch your Los Angeles D-Fenders battle the Utah Flash.
To purchase your tickets for the next D-Fenders home game, please contact us at d-fendersintern@d-fenders.com or call us at 310-343-3110.
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