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G League Grand Rapids Drive

Nets Hold On, Hand Drive First Loss

November 15, 2017 - NBA G League (G League)
Grand Rapids Drive News Release


UNIONDALE - The Long Island Nets (2-2) outlasted the Grand Rapids Drive (4-1) by a 93-91 final at home on Sunday afternoon to hand the Drive their first loss of the season. Shannon Scott had 23 points for the Nets, leading a balanced scoring attack with five other players in double figures.

Landry Nnoko and Dwight Buycks continued to propel the Drive. Nnoko scored 20 points with 12 rebounds, going a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line, and Buycks had 22 points, four assists and went 8-of8 from the line himself.

Long Island got off to a slow start, scoring just 15 points in the first quarter on 6-of-21 shooting from the field, missing six of their first seven three-pointers. But they were able to limit the damage by holding the Drive to just 18 points, and they outscored the Drive 34-28 in the second quarter to head into the half with a three-point lead.

The score went back and forth a bit in the third, and the Drive tied the game at 68 in the closing seconds of the quarter. But Scott buried a three-pointer with 25 seconds to give Long Island the lead back, and the Nets did not relinquish it for the rest of the game despite numerous comeback attempts by the Drive.

The Nets took a seven-point lead with 2:16 remaining and forced a Drive timeout, but the Drive twice got the score back within one point between then and the end of the game. Grand Rapids also had three opportunities to either tie the game or take the lead in the final 50 seconds, but all three missed, including Zeke Upshaw's attempt at a game-winning three-pointer.

The Drive struggled with the deep ball, shooting a season-low 26 percent from three-point range and making just five of them, a tally Long Island doubled. They were able to make up for it somewhat with Nnoko and Buycks' strong performances at the charity stripe, but still fell just short. The Nets also took away the paint, blocking seven Grand Rapids attempts.

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