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G League Grand Rapids Drive

Drive Handle Charge in Season Opener

November 11, 2016 - NBA G League (G League)
Grand Rapids Drive News Release


GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Nov. 11, 2016 - The Grand Rapids Drive (1-0) opened their season at home on a positive note Friday night, especially on the offensive side of the ball. They defeated the Canton Charge (0-1) by the score of 134-111 at the DeltaPlex Arena.

The Drive opened the game with a flurry of scoring, pouring in 39 first-quarter points, five more than they scored in any first quarter last season. Four players (Ray McCallum, Henry Ellenson, Bruce Massey and Nikola Jovanovic) were in double figures by halftime.

The Charge didn't let that stop them from flying back into the game, as they cut the Drive's lead to single digits near the end of the second quarter and finished with an impressive 38 second-quarter points. In the first half alone, Kevin Olekaibe had 16 points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting and Quinn Cook scored 15.

But the Drive took over from there, pulling the lead back up to 20 points early in the third quarter and not looking back from then on. The first half of the third quarter was a 22-10 run for Grand Rapids. They hit 100 points with 2:19 remaining in the third quarter, and they ran their lead all the way up to 30 points with four minutes left in the game.

The Drive shot a blistering 53 percent from the field and 44 percent from deep. Jovanovic and McCallum both finished with double-doubles for Grand Rapids, McCallum with 21 points and 10 assists, Jovanovic with 21 points and 15 rebounds. Jordan Crawford added 19 and Ellenson, on assignment from the Detroit Pistons, had 19 point and nine rebounds.

Cook led all scorers with 27 points for Canton, Olekaibe finished with 18 and Justin Johnson added 20.

The Charge have their home opener against the Long Island Nets on Saturday the 12th. Their next game after that is the Drive's next game, in Canton on Nov. 18.

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