Armor Clipped by Red Claws, 113-111
February 11, 2014 - NBA G League (G League)
Springfield Armor News Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - With a last-second try falling just shy of the basket, the Springfield Armor (11-19), presented by MGM Springfield, enter the All-Star break following a hard-fought loss to the Maine Red Claws (14-17) Tuesday night, 113-111.
After falling behind by as many as 16 in the first half, the Springfield offense awoke to cut the deficit to three prior to intermission. The Red Claws started hot, extending their lead into double figures before the close of the first period, entering the second with an 11-point edge at 31-20 behind 10 points from Chris Babb.
After being held to just 43 percent shooting over the first 12 minutes, Springfield found the hot hand in the second as the team combined to hit 59 percent of its attempts from the floor and all five free throws. Though the Armor connected just two treys in the stanza, Adonis Thomas' long range bucket with less than four seconds remaining in the half pulled Springfield within three at the break, 56-53.
The last-second three was Thomas' only score from the field, ending the half with four points. Larry Anderson led all scorers with 14 points off the bench, while two more Armor players reached double figures including Darius Johnson-Odom (12 points) and Willie Reed (10 points).
Babb led the way for Maine with 12 points, but was held in check during the second quarter as the Armor defense limited the forward to just two points in the frame. Joining Babb in double digits was Daniel Orton with 11 points, hitting 4-of-7 attempts from the field.
The Armor were finally able to grab a slim lead with less than two minutes remaining in the third, but Maine quickly jumped back in the driver's seat to take a four-point advantage into the fourth, 88-84. Despite 12 points in the quarter from Johnson-Odom, Springfield still trailed the Red Claws entering the final 12 minutes as four Maine starters reached double digits through the first three quarters, led by Babb with 15.
A tight-knit final frame kept the game within single digits as Springfield clawed its way into a one-possession game with less than a minute to play, erasing an eight-point Maine lead. Trailing by two and just 3.3 seconds on the clock, the Armor forced a turnover on an in-bounds play with Anderson finding himself racing down the floor, ball-in-hand. The Long Beach State product got off a desperation attempt as the final buzzer sounded, but the ball fell short of the rim as the Red Claws escaped with a 113-111 victory.
Anderson ended the night with 21 points, tying his career-high for the third time this season. Johnson-Odom scored 30 on 11-of-18 shooting, but a balanced attack by the Maine offense saw five players reach double figures.
Babb finished with a team-high 21, connecting on 4-of-7 three-point attempts on the evening. Forward Chris Wright logged 18 and six boards, while both Daniel Orton and former Net and Armor guard Tyshawn Taylor each registered 16.
Springfield outshot Maine 53%-51% and also made 12 three-pointers, one shy of its season-high, but Maine's early lead withstood the late barrage.
The Armor enter the All-Star break winners of five of their last seven, but have dropped two of their last three games.
Springfield will now break for five days while the NBA D-League hosts its All-Star festivities in New Orleans. Following the hiatus, the Armor will host the Fort Wayne Mad Ants at 6:00 p.m. inside the MassMutual Center on Monday, February 17. For more information on the Armor, visit www.ArmorHoops.com or call (413) 746-3263. Keep up with the Armor on Facebook and Twitter !
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