Sports stats



G League Salt Lake City Stars

Stars Fall to Mad Ants in First Game of Regular Season Road Trip

December 27, 2024 - NBA G League (G League)
Salt Lake City Stars News Release


INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Salt Lake City Stars (0-1), the official NBA G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz, fell to the Indiana Mad Ants (1-0) (Indiana Pacers affiliate), 127-116, in their first game of the G League regular season on Friday night at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Utah Jazz two-way guard David Jones Garcia finished with a game-high 27 points in his first start of the season since joining the Stars on Nov. 22. The 6-foot-6 forward also logged five rebounds, one assist, one steal, and a block on the night. Salt Lake City guard Max Abmas finished the game with a double-double, netting 15 points and dishing out ten assists. Meanwhile, forward Taevion Kinsey joined Abmas with a double-double of his own, netting 16 points and grabbing 10 boards.

Salt Lake City opened the contest with an impressive shooting performance from beyond the arc, netting 5-of-12 (41.7%) attempts from downtown. Sharp shooting would help the Stars finish the first frame ahead, 29-27.

Jones Garcia continued his hot scoring streak in the second, breaking the 20-point threshold with a one-for-two free throw with 3:29 remaining in the half. Despite the effort, Indiana pulled ahead, converting 56.5% of their field goals in the quarter to enter the break with the advantage, 63-56.

Salt Lake City fought hard in the second half, never allowing the Mad Ants to get comfortable. Despite trailing 95-88 behind Indiana to open the final frame, forward Justin Lewis drained a 28-foot three-pointer, cutting the Mad Ants' lead to three, 100-97 to keep the Stars in the game. However, Salt Lake City could not overcome the deficit, as Indiana captured the first victory of the back-to-back set, 127-116.

The Mad Ants finished with four starters scoring over 20 points. Forward Cameron McGriff led the group, netting 24 points, six rebounds, and one assist.

The Stars will return to rematch against the Indiana Mad Ants tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 28, at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The contest tips off at 4 p.m. MT and will be broadcast exclusively on NBAGLeague.com.

Looking ahead, Salt Lake City kicks off the New Year with a matinee game on Jan. 1 at the Maverik Center, including a special 'Meet & Greet' appearance by "Bluey". The game will tip-off at 3 p.m. MT and provide fun for the whole family with "Bluey" photo opportunities. Tickets are available online at slcstars.com.

-- @slcstars or slcstars.com -

Check out the Salt Lake City Stars Statistics

• Discuss this story on the NBA G League message board...

NBA G League Stories from December 27, 2024


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central