Toros Edge Jam In OT Thriller
Published on March 21, 2010 under NBA G League (G League)
Bakersfield Jam News Release
(Bakersfield, Calif. - March 20, 2010) - The Bakersfield Jam fell just short of its seventh straight win as the Austin Toros earned a hard-fought 118-113 victory in overtime on the strength of Curtis Jerrells' 33 points, 10 assists and five rebounds.
It was unsung Toro Michael Joiner who did the damage in crunch time, as he scored nine of his 13 points on 3-for-3 shooting from behind the arc in the extra frame. Fellow reserve David McClure grabbed a key offensive rebound on a missed free throw by Lewis Clinch with nine seconds remaining, and Jerrells fittingly iced the victory with two foul shots of his own to give Austin its final margin of victory.
The second half was a see-saw battle as the lead changed hands repeatedly down the stretch. Trey Johnson (25 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds) traded buckets with Jerrells throughout the fourth quarter, but a late travelling call on Reece Gaines cost the Jam a chance to grab a decisive lead and Johnson missed a shot at the buzzer that would have given Bakersfield the win.
After outscoring Austin 34-19 in a dominant first quarter, the Jam saw their double-digit lead become a three-point deficit with a sloppy second period. Clinch (26 points) led the way, pouring in 12 second-quarter points, and Jerrells nailed a shot from just inside half court to give the Toros a 56-53 halftime edge.
Brian Butch (21 points, 16 rebounds, 2 blocks) and Alade Aminu (10 points, 10 rebounds) both grabbed double-doubles for the Jam, and Reece Gaines put in his second straight strong performance in a reserve role with 19 points. Dwayne Jones continued his string of dominant rebounding performances against Bakersfield as he grabbed 27 boards to go with his 17 points.
The Toros will return to Austin to host the Springfield Armor for a Tuesday-Wednesday back-to-back set. Bakersfield heads out on the road next, travelling to Tulsa for a Thursday night matchup.
A complete box score for this game can be found at http://www.nba.com/dleague/games/boxscore.jsp?gameId2020900335.
NBA G League Stories from March 21, 2010
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- Toros Edge Jam In OT Thriller - Bakersfield Jam
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