G League Grand Rapids Gold

Gold Breaks Two Franchise Records Despite Nail Biting Loss to Wisconsin Herd

Published on December 3, 2021 under NBA G League (G League)
Grand Rapids Gold News Release


GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The Grand Rapids Gold (4-4), the NBA G League affiliate of the Denver Nuggets, showed no mercy to the number one seed in the Central Conference - the Wisconsin Herd (7-1) -- but fell short in the final seconds with a final score of 131-127. The Gold held the lead most of the game, shooting 53.5% from the field compared to 45.4% for the Herd, but the home team's turnovers in the second half cost them the game. 22 turnovers by the Gold converted to 26 points for the Herd. 9 turnovers by the Herd converted to 20 points for the Gold.

The Gold broke two franchise records despite the lost. The team had an impressive 46-point first quarter, beating the first quarter points record previously set in January 2020 against the Raptors in Grand Rapids. The Gold also surpassed their franchise record for second half points, putting up 85 points compared to the team's previous record of 79 points against the Greensboro Swarm in November 2019. The surge in points was largely due to Nik Stauskas's sharp shooting. He tallied 19 points in the first quarter alone, going 6-7 from the field and 5-5 from beyond the arc.

Nik Stauskas earned a game-high 33 points, on 11-23 shooting from the field and 6-13 from the three-point line. He had 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Lance Stephenson hustled up a solid double-double with 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists. Big man Giogi Bezhanishvilli earned another team double-double with 15 points, 16 rebounds, and 8 assists. Matt Ryan added 17 points and 5 assists to the team's stat line. Other Gold players in double figures were Trevon Duval (15 pts, 3 assists) and Marcus Burk (11 pts, 5 rebounds).

The Herd were led by guard Tremont Waters with 31 points and 6 assists. Lindel Wigginton contributed 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists. Wenyen Gabriel added a double-double for the away team with 26 points and 16 rebounds. Other Herd players in double digits were Rayjon Tucker (19 points, 2 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Javin DeLaurier (10 points, 6 rebounds).

The Gold and the Herd will face off again tomorrow in Grand Rapids at the DeltaPlex Arena. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. EST. Watch live at NBAGLeague.com.

Check out the Grand Rapids Gold Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



NBA G League Stories from December 3, 2021


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central