Late surge lifts Patriots to fourth-straight win
March 14, 2006 - NBA G League (G League)
Fayetteville Patriots News Release
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C., March 14 ? The Fayetteville Patriots opened the fourth period with a 6-0 burst against Austin, and then held off the Toros for a 99-94 win in NBA Development League action at the Crown Coliseum Tuesday night. The win was Fayetteville?s fourth in a row and sixth in its last seven games. The Patriots, who have won all five of their home games in the month of March, improved to 12-25 overall. The Toros? sixth-straight loss drops them to 20-18.
?We?ve stressed to the guys that if you continue to work hard, good things will happen,? said Patriots head coach Mike Brown of his team?s recent turnaround. ?We just kept believing in each other, even when we weren?t winning many games. Winning is an attitude, and these guys always believed they could win every game.?
With the score knotted at 68-68 heading into the final stanza, Fayetteville scored three unanswered baskets, including a jumper by Alex Acker and a pair of driving layups by point guard Mateen Cleaves. That span provided all the cushion the Patriots would need, despite several runs by Austin. In the final two minutes, Ezra Williams nailed back-to-back jumpers, the second of which was a 25-footer that sliced the lead to one. But Daniels hit five points over the next 30 seconds, leading Fayetteville to fend off the rally.
?We played well, a little better in the second half when we were more up-tempo,? said Toros coach Dennis Johnson. ?We were in it to the end, but they hit those big shots there and we didn?t.
?We?re in a bit of slump now, but we just have to hang in there, keep pushing and keep working hard. There are no quick fixes here.?
Daniels led all scorers with 21 and added seven boards, three assists and a pair of steals.
?Erik has a lot of tricks and he?s crafty,? Brown said. ?If he?s up against a bigger man, he?s able to go under. If he has the size advantage, he can post him up. He?s a trickster.? Amir Johnson added 17, Cleaves had 16 and Acker netted 14. Ryan Randle grabbed 11 rebounds and Rick Rickert snared 10. Williams paced the Toros with 19 points. Jamar Smith and Andre Emmitt scored 17 each.
The Patriots travel to Roanoke to take on the Dazzle on Wednesday, and return to the Crown on Friday, March 17, to kick off a three-game home stand against the Tulsa 66ers. Austin plays at Roanoke on Friday and Saturday.
The D-League offers players the opportunity to develop their talent in a highly competitive atmosphere under the NBA?s umbrella. Thirty-four (34) players have been called up to the NBA on 50 separate occasions. Ten (10) former D-League coaches, five athletic trainers, 11 referees and 30 front office executives have also been called up since the start of the league?s inaugural season in November of 2001. Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally, the league also offers fun, family entertainment at affordable prices. The D-League is a source of on-court talent for the NBA?s 30 teams and is a diverse human resources pool for the NBA and its teams by training employees in management, operations, public relations, sales and marketing positions. For more information on the Patriots, visit fayettevillepatriots.com or call (910) 213-1000.
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