NBA D-League Daily Developments
April 4, 2011 - NBA G League (G League) News Release
NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE PLAYOFFS TIP OFF APRIL 6
The Eastern Conference champion Iowa Energy, the No. 1 seed in the upcoming NBA Development League Playoffs, selected the seventh-seeded Utah Flash as their opponent in the first round of the 2011 NBA D-League Playoffs. Iowa (37-13) and Utah (28-22) will help tip off the 2011 NBA D-League Playoffs, when the Flash hosts the Energy on Wednesday, April 6 at 9 p.m. ET. For the third consecutive year, the top three seeds in the NBA D-League playoffs - the two conference champions and the wild card team with the best regular season record - had the opportunity to select their first round opponent among the four lowest-seeded playoff teams. The lower-seeded team will host Game 1 of the best-of-three first round, while the higher-seeded team will host Games 2 and 3, if necessary. The Reno Bighorns (34-16), the No. 2 seed and the Western Conference champions, selected the No. 5 seed Erie BayHawks (32-18). That series will begin on Sunday, April 10, when the BayHawks host the Bighorns at 5 p.m. ET. The Rio Grande Valley Vipers (33-17), the No. 3 seed, chose the sixth-seeded Bakersfield Jam (29-21), and will tip off on Friday, April 8, at 10 p.m. ET at Bakersfield. The two remaining playoff teams, the No. 4 seed Tulsa 66ers (33-17) and No. 8 seed Texas Legends (24-26), will begin play on Wednesday, April 6, at 8 p.m. ET at Texas. The second game between Iowa and Utah, on April 11 at 8 p.m. ET at Iowa, will be televised live on VERSUS. Six total playoff games, including every game of the NBA D-League Finals, will be televised nationally by VERSUS, while every other game can be viewed live, online, for free via NBA Futurecast at nba.com/dleague. Dates and times for the best-of-three semifinals have yet to be determined and will be announced when they are available. The semifinals will follow the same format as the first round, with the lower-seeded team hosting Game 1 and the higher-seeded team hosting Games 2 and 3, if necessary. The three-game NBA D-League Finals will tip off following the conclusion of the semifinals and will follow the same format.
2011 NBA D-LEAGUE PLAYOFFS - FIRST ROUND SCHEDULE (all times Eastern):
Iowa Energy v. Utah Flash
Game 1 - Wednesday, April 6 - Iowa at Utah, 9 p.m.
Game 2 - Monday, April 11 - Utah at Iowa, 8 p.m. (Live on VERSUS)
*Game 3 - Tuesday, April 12 - Utah at Iowa, 8 p.m.
Reno Bighorns v. Erie BayHawks
Game 1 - Sunday, April 10 - Reno at Erie, 5 p.m.
Game 2 - Tuesday, April 12 - Erie at Reno, 10 p.m.
*Game 3 - Thursday, April 14 - Erie at Reno, 10 p.m.
Rio Grande Valley Vipers v. Bakersfield Jam
Game 1 - Friday, April 8 - Rio Grande Valley at Bakersfield, 10 p.m.
Game 2 - Tuesday, April 12 - Bakersfield at Rio Grande Valley, 8 p.m.
*Game 3 - Wednesday, April 13 - Bakersfield at Rio Grande Valley, 8 p.m.
Tulsa 66ers v. Texas Legends
Game 1 - Wednesday, April 6 - Tulsa at Texas, 8 p.m.
Game 2 - Friday, April 8 - Texas at Tulsa, 8 p.m.
*Game 3 - Sunday, April 10 - Texas at Tulsa, 8 p.m.
*If necessary
ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENTS: A look at NBA D-League Alumni in last night's NBA games:
63 players with NBA D-League experience competed in 11 NBA games last night, 13 as starters.
v Houston's Chuck Hayes scored 35 points in a win over Atlanta.
v Washington's Andray Blatche had 25 points and 17 rebounds in a win over Charlotte.
v Charlotte's Matt Carroll scored 26 points in a loss to the Wizards.
v Detroit's Will Bynum scored 20 points in a loss to the Celtics.
v Utah's Kyle Weaver, recently called up from the Austin Toros, scored 19 points in a loss to Sacramento.
GATORADE CALL-UP BOARD:
Player NBA Team NBA D-League Team Call-Up Date
Zabian Dowdell Phoenix Tulsa 1/9/11
Larry Owens San Antonio Tulsa 1/16/11
Mustafa Shakur Washington Rio Grande Valley 1/22/11
Chris Johnson Port., Bos., Port. Dakota 1/24/11, 2/25/11, 3/14/11
Garrett Temple Milwaukee, Charlotte Erie 1/25/11, 3/7/11
Trey Johnson Toronto Bakersfield 1/26/11
Orien Greene New Jersey Utah 2/1/11
Steve Novak San Antonio Reno 2/9/11
Jeff Adrien Golden State Rio Grande Valley 2/25/11
Othyus Jeffers San Antonio, Wash. Iowa 3/4/11, 3/17/11
Jerel McNeal New Orleans Rio Grande Valley 3/9/11
Marcus Cousin Utah Austin 3/9/11
Danny Green San Antonio Spurs Reno 3/16/11
Patrick Ewing Jr. New Orleans Sioux Falls 3/26/11
Kyle Weaver Utah Austin 3/30/11
Mario West New Jersey Maine 3/31/11
ASSIGNMENT BOARD: NBA Players Currently on Assignment in the NBA D-League
Player NBA Team NBA D-League Team Assignment Date G MPG PPG RPG APG
Willie Warren L.A. Clippers Bakersfield 3/3/11 15 27.3 19.2 4.0 5.7
H. Thabeet Houston Rio Grande Valley 3/21/11 6 28.0 10.0 8.0 0.7
Derrick Caracter L.A. Lakers Bakersfield 3/29/11 3 19.7 8.7 6.0 0.3
Cole Aldrich Oklahoma City Tulsa 3/30/11 21 29.3 10.3 8.6 1.3
NBA G League Stories from April 4, 2011
- Bighorns Playoff Tickets Go On Sale April 5th - Reno Bighorns
- Jam vs. Vipers Game 1 to be Nationally Televised - Bakersfield Jam
- Wizards End Season with Home Victory - Dakota Wizards
- Texas' Joe Alexander Named NBA Development League Performer of the Week - G League
- Alexander Named NBA D-League Performer of the Week - Texas Legends
- NBA D-League Daily Developments - G League
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