Charge Drop Game 1 in Fort Wayne
Published on April 16, 2015 under NBA G League (G League)
Cleveland Charge News Release
The Canton Charge, presented by SecureData 365 and powered by the Cleveland Cavaliers, fell on the road in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, 105-91, to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. The series will now head to Canton for Game 2 at the Memorial Civic Center on Sunday at 6:00 p.m.
Canton pulled ahead 59-58 at the half thanks in part to a lights out team shooting effort, hitting 25-of-41 first half shots (61%) as a unit. Fort Wayne used defensive pressure to keep in the game, forcing 10 turnovers for 13 points on the defensive end.
The Charge outscored the hosts 18-9 to begin the third quarter, pulling out to their largest lead of the game by all five players distributing the ball and getting into the scoring column. Down 77-69 and 6:20 left in the third, the Mad Ants forced six consecutive Canton misses from the field at one point during a 18-3 run to go ahead 87-80 heading into the final frame.
The Charge cut it to a single possession game at 87-84 with the first two buckets of the fourth quarter, but Fort Wayne's defense began to take hold of the game. The Mad Ants went on a 14-2 run over the next 5:57 to put the game away in front of the home crowd. Canton shot just 12-of-34 in the second half (35%) and surrendered 11 turnovers, giving them 21 total for the game to Fort Wayne's 12.
Stephen Holt led Canton with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting with five assists and three steals in 40 minutes. James Singleton scored 14 points with nine boards and five assists in 42 minutes. Antoine Agudio, Chris Crawford, and Justin Johnson each supplied 12 points for the visitors. Alex Kirk added 11 points and eight rebounds in 35 minutes. Canton dished out 20 assists on 37 field goals.
Jordan Crawford poured in a game-high 27 points with eight rebounds and three steals in 37 minutes for the Mad Ants. C.J. Fair netted 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting in 31 minutes. Matt Bouldin added 17 points and four steals in 41 minutes. Fort Wayne has won nine consecutive playoff games dating back to the beginning of last year's postseason.
Game 2 is at the Memorial Civic Center in Canton on Sunday, April 19th at 6:00 p.m. (ESPNU), with tickets on sale now starting at just $8! Fans can be part of Charge history and purchase tickets at the Civic Center box office, at Ticketmaster outlets, by calling 866-444-1944, or by heading to www.CantonCharge.com.
NBA G League Stories from April 16, 2015
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- Charge Drop Game 1 in Fort Wayne - Cleveland Charge
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