Suns Take Down Defending NBA D-League Champions
November 27, 2016 - NBA G League (G League)
Northern Arizona Suns News Release
Northern Arizona Suns Take Down Defending NBA D-League Champions
(Northern Arizona Suns, Credit: Matt Hinshaw/NAZ Suns)
PRESCOTT VALLEY - The Northern Arizona Suns got off to an ice cold start from the field. The good news for them is so did the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
?The Suns missed their first eight shots of the game, found themselves going 1-for-16 shooting with 1:16 to go in the first quarter, but yet were ahead of the defending NBA D-League Champions 18-16 after the opening frame.
It was a sign of what was to come the whole game, as neither team shot well at all in front of the 1,275 fans at the Prescott Valley Event Center Sunday in a Suns' 98-89 win.
The Suns' shooting steadily improved as the game went on, and they even scored 61 points on 55.1 percent shooting in the second half, but the Skyforce struggled from the field the whole game. Sioux Falls finished 26-for-77 from the field, which is a 33.8 percent clip.
It was the first time all season the Skyforce failed to score at least 100 points, and the team missed the mark by 11. In the high-scoring league the Suns find themselves in, this is already their fourth game they have forced an opponent under 90 points.
Josh Gray started in place of an injured Askia Booker, and he made the most of his first start of the season. Gray achieved a triple-double with his 24 points on 10-of-20 shooting, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. He also added five steals.
Gray wasn't the only Suns player to put up big numbers however, as Johnny O'Bryant earned his second double-double of the season with his 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Leading the charge for the Skyforce was Marcus Posley off the bench, thanks in part to his six three pointers. He shot those at a 50 percent clip. Jabril Trawick, 14 points with six rebounds, and Okaro White, 12 points with seven rebounds, were the only other players for Sioux Falls to achieve double figures.
For the Suns, two other players scored 10 or more points, as Elijah Millsap and Derrick Jones Jr. scored 16 and 15, respectively. Millsap added seven rebounds and four assists to his total, while Jones earned nine rebounds. Off the bench, Greg Mays put up a season-high eight points, while Michael Bryson blocked three shots, his career-high.
The Suns travel to Salt Lake City for the second time this season on Tuesday with tip off at 7 p.m., where they won last time 91-80. Sioux Falls goes home to face Greensboro on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. CT.
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 Northern Arizona Suns Take Down Defending NBA D-League Champions (Matt Hinshaw/NAZ Suns) |
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NBA G League Stories from November 27, 2016
- D-Fenders Fall Short of Weekend Sweep in Loss to Rio Grande Valley - Los Angeles D-Fenders
- Suns Take Down Defending NBA D-League Champions - Northern Arizona Suns
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- Drive Snap Losing Streak with Win over Nets - Grand Rapids Drive
- D-Fenders Game Notes - Game #6 at Rio Grande Valley - Los Angeles D-Fenders
- Game Notes: at NAS - Sioux Falls Skyforce
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