There were only two D-League games last night. The more prominent of the took took place in Orem, Utah, where the Utah Flash were coming off a clinching a playoff berth against the Maine Red Claws on Tuesday. The two teams faced off again. The second was a huge road game for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in their quest to secure the eighth and final playoff berth in the 2011 NBA D-League playoffs.
Utah Flash- 105, Maine Red Claws- 99.
Brandon Costner and Ronald Dupree combined to score 44 points for the Flash, who outlasted Maine in an overtime thriller, moving to 27-18 on the season, maintaining a percentage points lead over Bakersfield for the 6th playoff spot. DeShawn Sims countered with 30 points and 12 rebounds for Maine, who has long since been out of the playoff race.
Tony Gaffney had a 14 point-11 rebound double double for Utah, while Nkem Ogjougboh added 14 off the bench. Magnum Rolle and Antonio Anderson each had 17 points for the Red Claws.
Fort Wayne Mad Ants- 96, Erie BayHawks- 80.
Fort Wayne pulled out a huge win Thursday night, winning the second half of a home and home against the 5th place Erie BayHawks.
Chris Kramer had 25, and was his usual disruptive self, while Darnell Lazare added 21 for Fort Wayne, who improved to 22-25, with a 1/2 game lead over the Idaho Stampede for the 8th and final playoff spot. Nate Linhart and Erik Daniels has 17 apiece, while Tasmin Mitchell had 16 for the BayHawks, who were without leading scorer Ivan Johnson (given the night off). Mr. Mad Ant, Ron Howard had 17 and Ryan Wittman had 11 for Fort Wayne, who is even closer now to clinching their first ever playoff berth.
Three games tonight in the D-League, including the league-leading Iowa Energy paying a visit the aforementioned BayHawks. The playoffs are almost upon us.