Skyforce Outlast Suns 96-94 in Double Overtime
December 25, 2016 - NBA G League (G League)
Sioux Falls Skyforce News Release
Sioux Falls, SD - The Sioux Falls Skyforce (13-3) only allowed the Northern Arizona Suns (10-6) to score two points in each of the two overtime periods to earn a 96-94 win on Sunday night at the Sanford Pentagon. The win marks 18-straight regular season home victories for the Skyforce, the longest active streak in the NBA D-League.
It was a back-and-forth game from tip off as there were eight lead changes in the first half of play. The Skyforce trailed by three points after the first period, and weren't able to make up any ground in the second quarter, entering halftime with the Suns lead of 47-43.
Briante Weber (24 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals) led the way the entire game for the Skyforce, tallying 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the first half alone. His 16 rebounds marked a new career high, and his triple-double was his third of the season.
The Suns led by as many as 11 points in the second half before the Skyforce came back to take a 79-78 lead on an Okaro White tip-in with 6:17 left in the fourth quarter. A missed floater from Weber missed as time expired in regulation, and the two teams heading into overtime, marking the first overtime game the Skyforce have played in this season.
With the Skyforce trailing 92-90 at the end of the first overtime, Marcus Posley (16 points) was fouled shooting a three-point jump shot with 1.5 seconds left. After missing the first, Posley calmly knocked down the second two shots to force double overtime.
Defense prevailed yet again in double-overtime, and the Suns only managed two more points, ultimately losing on an Okaro White turnaround floater in the lane with 25.4 seconds left. The Suns' Elijah Millsap (24 points and 12 rebounds) missed a three-point jump shot with 3.4 seconds remaining and Weber's 16th rebound sealed the win for the Skyforce.
Both Millsap and Johnny O'Bryant III (13 points and 13 rebounds) recorded double-doubles in the loss for the Suns, while Phoenix Suns assignee Derrick Jones, Jr. tallied 10 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. Josh Gray (19 points) rounded out the double figure scoring for the Suns.
Keith Benson matched a season-high with 25 points in the win, scoring 17 of his points in the second half alone. Okaro White totaled 11 points and nine rebounds, while first round draft pick Ike Nwamu scored nine points in his first start of his NBA D-League career.
Luis Montero finished with a team-high in +/- off the bench, finishing plus-eight in the game while recording an NBA D-League career-high 13 rebounds.
The Skyforce now hit the road for a three-game road trip to finish the month of December, traveling west to Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City before returning home to play the Texas Legends on January 6, 2017.
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NBA G League Stories from December 25, 2016
- Skyforce Outlast Suns 96-94 in Double Overtime - Sioux Falls Skyforce
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