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G League Grand Rapids Drive

Rakeem Christmas Scores 30 to Lead Fort Wayne Past Grand Rapids, 105-92

December 6, 2015 - NBA G League (G League)
Grand Rapids Drive News Release


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Rakeem Christmas entered Sunday's game averaging 18.7 points per game. The Fort Wayne Mad Ants forward almost had that at halftime.

Christmas scored a season-high 30 points as Fort Wayne beat the Grand Rapids Drive 105-92 on Sunday afternoon in front of 3,570 fans at The DeltaPlex Arena.

Fort Wayne, the affiliate of the Indiana Pacers, improves to 7-3. Grand Rapids, the affiliate of the Detroit Pistons, falls to 3-6.

Walter Lemon Jr. finished with 20 points for Fort Wayne, followed by C.J. Fair and Shayne Whittington, who each had double-doubles. Whittington, who played at nearby Western Michigan University, had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Fair, who went to Syracuse, had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Grand Rapids also had two players with double-doubles. Lorenzo Brown, who played at North Carolina State, did it the unconventional way with 13 points and 11 assists. Devin Ebanks, who played at West Virginia, had a season-high 25 points and 11 rebounds. Center Henry Sims, who played at Georgetown, also had a season high with 23 points and nine rebounds.

Former Michigan State forward Branden Dawson scored six points and four rebounds in his first game with the Drive. He was assigned to Grand Rapids by the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday as part of the league's flexible assignment rule.

Fair stole the ball and went in for an uncontested dunk early midway through the first quarter to give the Mad Ants a 17-8 lead. At one point, Fort Wayne went on a 15-0 run in the first quarter.

Christmas, a 6-foot-9 forward out of Syracuse, scored 11 points in the first quarter and 17 by halftime. He finished the game with seven rebounds and two assists.

Ebanks scored 10 points during a 4-minute stretch late in the second quarter to help Grand Rapids cut Fort Wayne's lead to 56-46 at halftime.

Fort Wayne plays next at the Delaware 87ers on Wednesday for an 11 a.m. game. Grand Rapids travels to the Westchester Knicks on Thursday for a 7 p.m. start.

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