Salt Lake Fights Before Falling in Final Showcase Contest to Grand Rapids 110-100
Published on December 21, 2022 under NBA G League (G League)
Salt Lake City Stars News Release
LAS VEGAS - The Salt Lake City Stars, the official G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz, dualed it out defensively in their second and final G League Showcase Cup appearance before falling to the Grand Rapids Gold, 110-100 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
The first half was a closely matched contest with the Stars scoring 27 points in the second frame to the Gold's 26. The fight only fueled on with the Stars and Gold aggressively pushing every possession throughout the rest of the face-off. The Grand Rapids didn't let up with their offensive production in the first half as they cleared 22-44 from the field claiming the lead 54-45 at the half.
The Stars had a solid fourth quarter in this aggressive matchup as they led the Gold 18-11 in rebounds and collected 14 points from turnovers. Salt Lake City was able to cut the Grand Rapid's lead to nine with a three-point shot by Johnny Juzang who shot 6-of-9 from behind the arc. Grand Rapids kept control for the entirety of the fourth despite Salt Lake's regained single digit deficit. The Salt Lake City Stars fell in the final frame after the Gold's leading scorer Chason Randle sent a shot from the penalty line to secure the 110 target score along with a victory for Grand Rapids.
Despite the loss, four Stars players finished the game in double-figures. Jazz two-way, Johnny Juzang paced Salt Lake City with a season high 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including 6-of-9 from downtown topped off with five rebounds and three assists as a reserve. Center Tyler Cook added 20 points and a game-high 15 boards, while Stars' tryout player, Stacy Davis secured 15 points paired with four rebounds. Rawle Alkins tacked on 14 points coming off the bench for Salt Lake.
Grand Rapids' reserve, Chasson Randle, who secured the Gold victory, had a game-high 36 points, while forward Jack White and center Grant Golden both poured in 14 points respectively to the team's final 110 points.
Salt Lake City's record will now reset for the start of the regular season as the team travels to Mexico City to take on the Capitanes at 6 p.m. (MT) on Dec. 28. The game will be broadcastLIVE on ESPN+ and available online at www.slcstars.com.
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