NBDL NEWS
Published on March 20, 2002 under NBA G League (G League) News Release
STIRRING SEASON FINALES TO DETERMINE NBDL POSTSEASON PAIRINGS
Nearly five months ago, Alex English, Milton Barnes, Jeff Malone and Sam Vincent situated themselves on the balcony level of the Suwanee Sports Academy in Georgia, overlooking a cast of 120 players brought in for the NBDL's first central training camp.
Today, after a season of long bus rides, makeshift practices and difficult roster decisions, all four coaches are now looking ahead to the playoffs, as the inaugural NBDL regular season draws to a close and the league's inaugural postseason is about to begin.
With four days left in the regular season - it ends Saturday - the postseason matchups are still anybody's guess.
As fate would have it, the four teams that have clinched playoff berths - Greenville, North Charleston, Columbus and Mobile - square off on Saturday, with first-place Greenville (35-19) visiting North Charleston (34-20) and Columbus (29-25) traveling to Mobile (29-25).
Greenville can win the regular-season title outright with a victory Friday against Asheville and a North Charleston loss to Roanoke. If both teams win Friday, the winner on Saturday would claim the title, based on the teams having split six games so far this season and the winner gaining the tiebreaker.
While Greenville and North Charleston have the first two seeds sewn up, Columbus and Mobile - assured of the final two playoff spots - are in a fight for the No. 3 slot. The teams own identical records, but Mobile holds the tiebreaker, leading the season series 6-3. A Mobile victory on Friday against Huntsville, coupled with a Columbus loss to Fayetteville, would give the Revelers the third seed. A Columbus victory on Friday, paired with a Mobile loss, would put the Revelers in a must-win situation on Saturday to gain the third seed.
"It doesn't matter to me whether we're the third seed or the fourth seed," Columbus coach Jeff Malone told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. "We know we're going to play either Greenville or North Charleston. We'll be ready no matter who it is."
Mobile has been stirred by the return of leading scorer and first-team All-NBDL guard Isaac Fontaine, who recently fulfilled a 10-day contract with the Memphis Grizzlies before returning to the Revelers' lineup.
Fontaine scored 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting on Monday as Mobile defeated Columbus 92-77 to clinch a playoff spot.
"Getting Isaac back was big for us," Revelers coach Sam Vincent told the Mobile Register. "Not only does he lead us in scoring, but he brings a lot of energy as well. Getting him back was like getting a member of the family back. We are glad to have him back for the stretch run and the playoffs."
North Charleston enters the final weekend having won three straight, the latest a 96-91 victory over Huntsville on Monday that eliminated the Flight from the playoffs. The game offered the perfect demonstration of North Charleston's greatest strength heading into the playoffs - balance, with Jamal Kendrick (24 points), Sedric Webber (22), Fred House (18) and Galen Young (17) all getting into the act offensively. The Lowgators took seven of nine from Columbus during the regular season, while going 5-4 against Mobile.
Greenville, which placed three players on the All-NBDL First Team (Billy Thomas, Ansu Sesay and Thomas Hamilton), has won 15 of its last 16 games. The Groove split season series (3-3) with both Columbus and Mobile.
Columbus, which has dropped three consecutive games, is led by forwards Gabe Muoneke (16.9 ppg) and Nate Johnson (13.6 ppg). The Riverdragons lost their top player, Tremaine Fowlkes, last month after Fowlkes was summoned to play for the Los Angeles Clippers. Columbus is 5-5 without him.
POSSIBLE PLAYOFF SCENARIOS
Greenville (35-19) and North Charleston (34-20) are both vying for the No. 1 seed. Both teams have two games remaining - one each on Friday before a head-to-head meeting on Saturday.
If Greenville beats Asheville on Friday and North Charleston loses to Roanoke, Greenville gets the No. 1 seed. Any other results mean the winner of the Greenville-North Charleston game on Saturday will earn the No. 1 seed.
Greenville's magic number to clinch the No. 1 one seed is two; North Charleston's magic number to clinch the No. 1 seed is three.
***
Mobile (29-25) and Columbus (29-25) are both vying for the No. 3 seed. Both teams have two games remaining - one each on Friday before a head-to-head meeting on Saturday.
If Mobile beats Huntsville on Friday and Columbus loses to Fayetteville, Mobile gets the No. 3 seed. Any other results mean the winner of the Columbus-Mobile game on Saturday will earn the No. 3 seed.
Mobile's magic number to clinch the No. 3 seed is two; Columbus' magic number to clinch the No. 3 seed is three.
SEMIFINAL SERIES SCHEDULES
SERIES "A"
GREENVILLE vs. COLUMBUS or MOBILE
Game 1 - Thursday, March 28 - Columbus or Mobile at Greenville, 7 p.m. EST
Game 2 - Friday, March 29 - Greenville at Columbus, 7 p.m. EST ** OR ** Game 2 - Wednesday, April 3 - Greenville at Mobile, TBA
Game 3 - Friday, April 5 or Sunday, April 6 - Columbus or Mobile at Greenville, 7 p.m. EST (if necessary)
SERIES "B"
NORTH CHARLESTON vs. COLUMBUS or MOBILE
Game 1 - Sunday, March 24 - Columbus or Mobile at North Charleston, 5 p.m. EST
Game 2 - Friday, March 29 - North Charleston at Columbus, 7 p.m. EST **OR** Game 2 - Wednesday, April 3 - North Charleston at Mobile, TBA
Game 3 - Saturday, April 6 - Columbus or Mobile at North Charleston, 7 p.m. EST
THE POSTSEASON PICTURE
GREENVILLE GROOVE (35-19)
-- Clinched playoff berth, home court in the first round
-- Magic number is 2 to clinch top seed outright
-- If tied with North Charleston, the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds will be decided by
the NBDL's Tiebreaking Procedure
Remaining Games:
Friday vs. Asheville
Saturday at North Charleston
NORTH CHARLESTON LOWGATORS (34-20)
-- Clinched playoff berth, home court in the first round
-- If tied with Greenville, the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds will be decided by the NBDL's Tiebreaking Procedure
-- Series tied 3-3 with one game remaining
Remaining Games:
Friday at Roanoke
Saturday vs. Greenville
NBDL TIEBREAKING PROCEDURE:
-- Better record in head-to-head games
-- Better winning percentage against all teams with .500 or better record at the end of the season
-- Better point differential in games head-to-head
***
MOBILE REVELERS (29-25)
-- Clinched playoff berth
-- Cannot claim higher than No. 3 seed
-- Magic Number is 2 to clinch No. 3 seed
-- Clinched season series against Columbus (6-3) with one game remaining
Remaining Games:
Friday at Huntsville
Saturday vs. Columbus
COLUMBUS RIVERDRAGONS (29-25)
-- Clinched playoff berth
-- Cannot claim higher than No. 3 seed
-- Magic Number is 3 to clinch No. 3 seed
Remaining Games:
Friday vs. Fayetteville
Saturday at Mobile
NBA G League Stories from March 20, 2002
- NBDL NEWS - G League
- ASHEVILLE ROLLS PAST HUNTSVILLE 101-88 - Asheville Altitude
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