Skyforce Sweep Knicks with 112-105 Victory
April 8, 2016 - NBA G League (G League)
Sioux Falls Skyforce News Release
The Sioux Falls Skyforce advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals following a two-game sweep of the Westchester Knicks, winning 112-105 on Friday night at the Sanford Pentagon.
Though the Knicks led by as many as seven points early in the first quarter, neither team managed pull away from the other, as there were seven ties and 10 lead changes through the first 24 minutes of basketball. Westchester entered the halftime break with a 52-51 lead over the Skyforce, led by a combined 22 first half points from Keith Wright and Jimmer Fredette.
The Knicks managed to jump out to a 69-58 lead with 6:57 left to go in the third quarter, but their momentum stopped there. From that point, Sioux Falls went on a 39-10 run spanning the end of the third quarter and into the fourth. The Skyforce led by as many as 18 points before the Knicks managed to make a run of their own.
Westchester trailed 97-79 with 7:07 left to go in the final quarter. Over the next four minutes, the Knicks went on a 19-5 run to cut the deficit to just four points with 3:03 left to play, but were never able to retake the lead as Sioux Falls outlasted them in the final minutes.
The Skyforce offensive attack was led by Rodney McGruder, who recorded a new NBA Development League career high with 33 points on 11 of 18 shooting in the contest. Jarnell Stokes recorded his second consecutive postseason double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Briante Weber recorded 21 points and five steals off of the bench for Sioux Falls. Weber also finished with a team-high +/- stat of plus-25 in the game.
DeAndre Liggins continued to stuff the stat sheet as well, tallying 10 assists, eight points, seven rebounds and six steals in over 42 minutes of play. Additionally, Keith Benson recorded eight points, four rebounds and four Skyforce Sweep Knicks with 112-105 Victory
The Sioux Falls Skyforce advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals following a two-game sweep of the Westchester Knicks, winning 112-105 on Friday night at the Sanford Pentagon.
Though the Knicks led by as many as seven points early in the first quarter, neither team managed pull away from the other, as there were seven ties and 10 lead changes through the first 24 minutes of basketball. Westchester entered the halftime break with a 52-51 lead over the Skyforce, led by a combined 22 first half points from Keith Wright and Jimmer Fredette.
The Knicks managed to jump out to a 69-58 lead with 6:57 left to go in the third quarter, but their momentum stopped there. From that point, Sioux Falls went on a 39-10 run spanning the end of the third quarter and into the fourth. The Skyforce led by as many as 18 points before the Knicks managed to make a run of their own.
Westchester trailed 97-79 with 7:07 left to go in the final quarter. Over the next four minutes, the Knicks went on a 19-5 run to cut the deficit to just four points with 3:03 left to play, but were never able to retake the lead as Sioux Falls outlasted them in the final minutes.
The Skyforce offensive attack was led by Rodney McGruder, who recorded a new NBA Development League career high with 33 points on 11 of 18 shooting in the contest. Jarnell Stokes recorded his second consecutive postseason double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Briante Weber recorded 21 points and five steals off of the bench for Sioux Falls. Weber also finished with a team-high +/- stat of plus-25 in the game.
DeAndre Liggins continued to stuff the stat sheet as well, tallying 10 assists, eight points, seven rebounds and six steals in over 42 minutes of play. Additionally, Keith Benson recorded eight points, four rebounds and four blocks in just 16 minutes off the bench.
Five players scored in double-figures for the Knicks, including a team-high 26 points from Fredette and 17 points off the bench from Ra'shad Jones. Westchester shot an efficient 50 percent from the field and 52 percent from three-point territory, but turnovers proved to be a key factor as the Skyforce scored 21 points on 24 Westchester turnovers in the Knicks' loss.
Sioux Falls will look ahead to their coming matchup with the Canton Charge, who swept the Maine Red Claws in the conference semi-finals. The Skyforce finished the regular season with a 5-1 record against the Charge, and will look to carry that success into their postseason series. The official schedule for the Eastern Conference Finals will be released in the coming days.
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