Flyers Top Dazzle to Reach Championship Game

Published on April 15, 2006 under NBA G League (G League)
Fort Worth Flyers News Release


FORT WORTH, Texas - Fort Worth guard Aaron Miles recorded 22 points as the top-seeded Flyers advanced to the title game of the 2006 NBA Development League Championship presented by Delta Air Lines by knocking off the fourth-seeded Roanoke Dazzle 87-78 at the Fort Worth Convention Center on Saturday night.

With the win, the Flyers will meet the second-seeded Albuquerque Thunderbirds in the D-League title game next week in Forth Worth. The Thunderbirds advanced by knocking off the Florida Flame 80-71 in the first D-League semi-final game of the day.

Fort Worth forward Kelenna Azubuike added 20 points and eight rebounds while Keith Langford chipped in with 11 points.

Roanoke was led by guard Brian Chase with 23 points who went 9-of-17 from the field and 5-of-10 from beyond the 3-point line. Peter Ramos added 14 points while Isiah Victor finished with 11 points on 3-of-16 shooting.

"We're happy to be in this position," said Flyers head coach Sam Vincent. "I thought when we needed big baskets and big stops, our guys really stepped up and performed. Now we have a chance to bring a championship to the city of Fort Worth next week."

The regular season champion Flyers showed the hometown crowd why they were the best team in the league the entire season, jumping out to a commanding 25-4 lead to open the game. Miles was huge in the opening quarter, scoring 12 of the Flyers' first quarter points. Roanoke, however, would not bow out without a fight as they answered the Flyers' run with an 8-0 run to end the first quarter trailing 25-12.

"It's very frustrating when you plan for a game all week long and you come out and play the complete opposite of how you wanted to play," said Roanoke head coach Kent Davison. "But give (Fort Worth) credit. We were out of sync because of what they did to us. They really played us hard and made it very difficult for us to get good shots off."

"I thought our defensive pressure early on was the key," Vincent said. "Our guys were solid in their assignments and we defended the perimeter and the paint very well."

After shooting just 31.3 percent in the first quarter, the Dazzle turned things around in the second quarter behind some solid defense of their own. Roanoke held Fort Worth to just 22.7 percent shooting in the second quarter to slim the 23-point first quarter deficit to just six points (39-33) heading into the half.

"We knew they were going to come out and make a run at us in the second quarter," Vincent said. "But we kept telling our guys to do the little things that help us build the lead and we should be fine."

Forth Worth extended its six point lead by five points heading into the fourth quarter. With help from downtown by Chase, Roanoke was able to cut the Flyers' lead to four points with less than a minute left to play. But Fort Worth would not be denied a spot in the title game as they hit their free throws late to stave off the Dazzle's comeback attempts.

"We just ran out of gas late," Davison said. "And when you get down by that many to a good team like Fort Worth, you have to play perfect to have a chance to win. We just didn't play perfect enough down the stretch."

After shooting 62.5 percent from the field in the first quarter, the Flyers cooled off dramatically the rest of the way to finish at 38.4 percent (28-for-73). The Dazzle combined their 35.2 percent field goal percentage with 24 turnovers.

"We just had too many mistakes tonight," Davison added.

The title game between the Flyers and Thunderbirds is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 22 and will be held at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

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