Armor Rally for 113-105 Victory over Sevens
January 11, 2014 - NBA G League (G League)
Springfield Armor News Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Trailing by as many as 13 in the fourth quarter, the Springfield Armor (5-13), presented by MGM Springfield, rallied behind Darius Johnson-Odom's 27 points and Adonis Thomas' 25 to knock off the Delaware 87ers (3-16) in a thriller at the MassMutual Center Saturday night, 113-105.
Johnson-Odom dropped 14 in the fourth quarter, leading a thunderous Armor comeback after Springfield fell behind by 13 with just over eight minutes to play.
Forward Dennis Horner paced the Armor through the first quarter, logging seven points on a 3-of-6 effort from the field. The 2014 NBA D-League Showcase Honorable Mention also connected on the lone three-pointer for Springfield in the opening frame. Tied at 12 midway through the quarter, the Armor closed out the final six minutes on a 16-7 run to take a 28-19 lead into the second. The Sevens were led by Thanasis Antetokounmpo who hit 3-of-7 shots for a team-best 10 points through the first 12 minutes.
Springfield turned up the defense in the second, forcing a slew of turnovers that led to a 10-point edge just over four minutes into the period. The Sevens rallied, cutting the deficit in half one minute later, but the Armor once again pushed the lead back to 10 and eventually entered the locker room holding a nine-point advantage at 59-50.
Horner, Adonis Thomas and Willie Reed all entered the break with a game-high 11 points. The Armor shot 60 percent (24-of-40) from the field as eight different members contributed to the offense. Springfield forced 11 turnovers off seven steals and held an eight-point edge in the paint (32-24).
Antetokounmpo's 10 first quarter points were still a team-best at halftime as the Greece product was held scoreless in the second. The Sevens knocked down five treys through the first half, while the Delaware bench chipped in 19 points.
Delaware started strong in the third, beginning a 13-3 run from the opening whistle to take a 63-62 lead just four minutes in. That run sparked a back-and-forth affair as the teams traded leads which left the Armor trailing by two at 80-78 entering the fourth.
Just over three minutes into the final frame, the Sevens rattled off 14 points while holding Springfield to just three as Delaware's lead grew to 13. An 8-2 run pulled Springfield within six at the midway point of the fourth with the Sevens clinging to a 94-88 lead. The Armor eventually cut Delaware's edge down to just two at 99-97 before Thomas hit a clutch jumper to knot the game at 99 with less than three minutes to play.
Delaware took its final lead at the 2:38 mark after a pair of free throws from Matt Bouldin, who finished with 18 points on the night, put the Sevens up 101-99. Johnson-Odom proceeded to put the team on his back down the final stretch, connecting on eight straight points which put the Armor in front after the 11th and last lead change of the evening. Springfield was able to push the lead as high as eight over the final minute courtesy of clutch free throws, defeating the Sevens 113-105.
Delaware put six players in double figures on the night as Bouldin led the team with 18 off the bench. The Sevens hit 50 percent (40-of-80) of their shots from the field and outrebounded the Armor 40-29. Springfield shot 57.5 percent (42-of-73) from the floor and outscored the Sevens 35-25 over the final 12 minutes.
The Armor will break until Wednesday, January 15 when the team travels to Erie, Pa. to take on the BayHawks for a 7:00 p.m. midweek match-up. 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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