The Erie BayHawks split two games in the NBA Development League Showcase in Reno. The BayHawks (10-6) beat the Texas Legends, 86-83, after losing 94-90 to the Bighorns (7-8)
The BayHawks have the second-best record in the D-League behind Texas (11-6). They is back home Saturday to play the Fort Wayne Mad Ants (9-10).
The Mad Ants are tied with the Canton Charge with the D-League’s longest current winning streak of six games.
The Erie BayHawks had their five-game winning streak snapped in an 106-84 loss to Fort Wayne at Erie Insurance Arena on Saturday night.
The Mad Ants (5-10) won their first road game in seven tries and avenged a season-opening loss to the BayHawks (7-5). Ron Howard and Tony Mitchell each had 26 points to lead Fort Wayne while Henry Sims scored a team-high 22 points for the BayHawks.
The Erie BayHawks were part of the top two plays of the D-League Top 5 Plays of the Week for Dec. 17-24.
No. 2. Mychel Thompson’s reverse lay up at Springfield. The BayHawks won 127-119.
No. 1. Boston Celtics rookie 7-footer Fab Melo blocked a D-League single-game record 14 shots for the Maine Red Claws against BayHawks. Erie won the game, 85-78.
Me personally, the best play of them all is No. 3: JaJuan Johnson, who used to play for the Boston Celtics, served up a facial on Melo.
Nasty.
Here’s first-year Erie BayHawks head coach Gene Cross talking about key players heading into Friday night’s season opener at Fort Wayne.
The Erie BayHawks concluded their fifth day of training camp Wednesday at Penn State Behrend. The hybrid D-League affiliate of the New York Knicks opens the 2012-13 season Nov. 23 at Fort Wayne.
Then rookie D.J. Kennedy sparked Erie to the D-League playoffs last season./Erie Times-News
The D-League is the testing board for the NBA.
Whether it’s bringing in the international goaltending rule, a 3-minute overtime or having top four seeds pick their first-round playoff opponents, the D-League has always experimented.
However, D-League has gone traditional for its upcoming draft next month – sort of.
Instead of having a lottery to determine a draft order, the league is basing it on last year’s records, meaning the playoff teams will pick after the teams that didn’t make the playoffs.
Eight of the 16 teams make the playoffs.
Now the NBA has a draft lottery, but it’s for the teams that don’t make the playoffs. What the D-League did in the past was have a lottery for every team regardless.
I understood the theory of it, though.
Since the rosters can drastically change from year to year, it gave everyone a fair shot to get the top picks in the draft.
On the other hand, it’s more logical to let the worst team from a season ago pick first.
That’s how the NFL does it.
The Erie BayHawks are in the playoffs – again.
With New York Knicks senior vice president Glen Grunwald in attendance, the BayHawks clinched a playoff berth with an 110-108 victory Tuesday night at Tullio Arena.
The Knicks are Erie’s NBA hybrid affiliate.
Erie (27-21) has made the D-League playoffs in three of its four D-League seasons, doing so last season and this season under Jay Larranaga. In 2009 as expansion franchise, Erie made it under John Treloar.
The BayHawks still have a shot at winning the East Conference, which would give then the No. 2 seed in the playoffs and the opportunity to pick their first-round playoff opponent. The BayHawks are a game behind conference leader Dakota (28-20).
Erie needs to win its last two games against Canton (26-21) on Friday at home and Saturday at Canton and have Dakota lose its last two games at Fort Wayne on Friday and Saturday.
At 12-35, the Mad Ants have the D-League’s worst record. Since the Wizards own the tiebreaker against Erie, the BayHawks must finish a game ahead of them to win the conference.
Joey and Stephen Graham got reacquainted Friday night.
The 29-year old twin brothers are in the D-League and played against each other in Erie’s 103-102 win against Fort Wayne at Tullio Arena. Joey Graham is with the BayHawks while Stephen Graham is with the Mad Ants.
Both played in the NBA. The two will see each other on the court again tonight at 7 at Tullio Arena. It’s the last time Erie and Fort Wayne will play each other this season.
Mychel Thompson made it happen tonight, but the Fort Wayne Mad Ants helped him out.
With the Erie BayHawks down two, Thompson made a steal, drew a foul and threw up a shot Ramon Harris goal-tended. Thompson made the ensuing FT with 6.8 seconds left to give the BayHawks a 103-102 victory at Tullio Arena.
Erie BayHawks rookie Jeremy Green hit a half court shot at the end of this morning’s shootaround. The BayHawks play the Fort Wayne Mad Ants tonight at 7 at Tullio Arena.
