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*** NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE MAIN PAGE ***
(NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE)
 | All-D-League Awards 2007-08 | |
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| |  | D-League Most Valuable Player: Kasib Powell (6'7''-F-81) of Sioux Falls
Rookie of the Year: Blake Ahearn (6'2''-G-84) of Dakota Wizards
Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year: Bryan Gates of Idaho Stampede
Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Stephane Lasme (6'8''-F-82) of Los Angeles and Mouhamed Sene of Seattle
D-League Impact Player: Morris Almond (6'6''-F-85) of Utah Flash
Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award: Billy Thomas (6'5''-G-75) of Colorado 14ers |
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| Ex-D-Leaguers Aid Maccabi in Euroleague Final Four Victory | |
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| | | Terence Morris (6'9''-F-79, college: Maryland) (Columbus Riverdragons) and Will Bynum (5'11''-G-83, college: Georgia Tech) (Roanoke Dazzle) were instrumental in Maccabi Elite Tel-Avivs 92-85 come-from-behind victory over Montepaschi Siena in Madrid. Maccabi will now face the winner of CSKA Moscow and TAU Ceramica which will tip off later today. Morris, who averaged 11.4 points and 7.4 rebounds while in the D0League during the 2003-04 season, has seemingly resurrected a once promising career this season in Israel. The ex-Maryland Terrapin scored 13 points while grabbing a team high seven rebounds for Maccabi. This season in the Euroleague, the 69 forward averaged 12.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 23 games. More impressivlely, in the playoffs he increased his output to 14.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 6 contests. Teammate Will Bynum, who led the D-League in scoring during the 2005-06 season (24.0ppg) as a rookie out of Georgia Tech, also helped spark the furious comeback victory for the Israeli club. Down 20-8 after one period and still down 12 beginning the second half, Bynum was the key man off the bench pacing the team and making sensational assist after assist. The former All-D-League 1st team selection handed out a game high seven assists to go along with 13 points and timely free-throw shooting. The final ex-D-Leaguer on Maccabis roster is veteran guard Vonteego Cummings (6'4''-G-76, college: Pittsburgh) who started the game but was limited to only four and a half minutes of action. For the Euroleague season, the former NBA First Round Draft Pick and Ft. Worth Flyer, averaged 5.9 points, 2.7 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 22 games. |
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| Idaho puts its stamp on title | |
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| | | Qwest Arena hosted a party Friday night - a party more than a decade in the making and one that culminated with an NBA Development League championship for the Idaho Stampede.
A 108-101 victory over the Austin Toros in Game 3 of the best-of-three series made the Stampede champions for the first time in their 10-year history.
'This thing still hasn't sunk in,' Stampede coach Bryan Gates said after receiving hugs from just about everyone at the party.
The party had plenty of guests of honor.
There was Randy Livingston (6'4''-G-75, agency: Elfus-Siegel Management (ESM), college: LSU), the veteran point guard who has played more games in a Stampede uniform than any other player and appeared in 11 consecutive NBA seasons.
He said Friday's game was his last.
'This is the most amazing way to end,' said Livingston, who had eight assists and six points. '... Any championship on any level is one you relish, one you savor. You can't take it away.'
There was guard Mike Taylor (6'2''-G-86, college: Iowa St.), the sparkplug who had come off the bench several times this season to provide his team with some electricity. Friday night, he definitely lit it up again.
Taylor hit four 3-pointers in a row in a span of less than 3 minutes in the fourth quarter to push Idaho's lead to an insurmountable 95-77 with 8 minutes, 23 seconds left in the game.
He finished with a team-high 27 points after going 7-of-10 from beyond the arc.
'After I hit the first couple I kind of knew they were going to go in when I shot it,' Taylor said. 'It was just kind of like that feeling you get in practice when you hit 12 in a row.'
The D-League doesn't award a Finals MVP, but Taylor was certainly the MVP of Game 3.
'It was Mike Taylor tonight,' Gates said. 'But, overall, we'd be nowhere without No. 32 (Livingston).'
There was Cory Violette (6'8''-C/F-82, college: Gonzaga), who fell one rebound short of posting a double-double in all three Finals games.
Violette has won a championship in Boise before - when he was a sophomore at Bishop Kelly High.
'It gets better and better the older you get, especially when you get paid a little bit of money to do it,' said Violette, who had 20 points, nine rebounds and hit a prayer from deep in 3-point territory that went in as the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter.
There was another local product in former Boise State standout Jason Ellis (6'7''-F-82, agency: Worldwide Hoops, college: Boise St.), who posted a double-double in the first half with 11 rebounds and 10 points.
'It's big to be able to bring home a championship to Boise,' Ellis said. 'At the beginning of the season there was a question of whether they brought in three local guys to just sell tickets, but over the course of the season we proved that we can play. (Ex-Bronco Roberto Bergersen (6'6''-G/F-76, agency: Priority Sports, college: Boise St.)) and Cory showed it right out of the gates, and I had to wait my turn.'
And, as far as managing investor Bill Ilett was concerned, there were the season-high 4,124 fans who attended the party.
'It's so much about the fans,' he said. 'We've built a great fan base here, and we're looking forward to the weekend after Thanksgiving. We're ready to go again.'
Gates said earlier this week that his whole season would be judged by the final two games of the D-League Finals.
But after the coach of the year has some time to reflect he will realize this season was about more than just Idaho's final two contests.
The Stampede put together 18 wins in a row, more than any other team in D-League history.
Idaho clinched the West Division title with the best record in the league.
Idaho finished with the best winning percentage in D-League history (72 percent).
The Stampede had 21 regular-season home wins, setting a league standard.
Livingston was named to the D-League first team, and Lance Allred (6'11''-C-81, agency: SportsTalent, college: Weber St.) was named to the second team. Violette and Mouhamed Saer Sene (7'0''-C-86) were honorable mentions, and Sene was named the co-defensive player of the season.
Allred was called up by the Cleveland Cavaliers and is signed with the Cavs through next season.
Courtesy of Statesman |
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| Stampede Even Championship Series 1-1; Decisive Game 3 Friday Night | |
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| | | Cory Violette (6'8''-C/F-82, college: Gonzaga) knocked down a pair of clutch free throws with 21.3 seconds left to put the Stampede up for good as they came back to Boise after a game one defeat in Austin and evened the series with the Toros at one game a piece, 90-89. The two teams will have no time to rest as the final game of the series will tip off tonight at 9:30pm once again in Boise at the Qwest Arena. Up by as many as six points in the fourth quarter, Austin was held scoreless in the final 2 minutes of play. Violette, the former Gonzaga standout, led Idaho with 19 points while Andre Barrett (5'9''-G-82, college: Seton Hall) did all he could to clinch the series for Austin, scoring a game high 27 points to go along with eight assists.
TOROS: Andre Barrett (27p+8as), Ian Mahinmi (16p+12rb+5bs), Justin Bowen (12p+6rb), Darvin Ham (10p)
STAMPEDE: Cory Violette (19p+7rb), Jason Ellis (8p+16rb), Randy Livingston (15p+7rb+5as+7to), Roberto Bergersen (15p) |
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| Toros Take Game One from Stampede 95-89 | |
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| | | The Austin Toros rode the strong play of Justin Bowen (6'7''-F-83, college: Ill.-Chicago) (6'7''-F-83, college: Ill.-Chicago) to a 95-89 victory over the Idaho Stampede in Game One of the 2007-08 D-League Finals. Making their first appearance in the playoffs, let alone finals in their three year existence, the Toros (who are owned and operated by the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA) made their move in the third quarter and held on in the fourth to secure the win. The Toros can wrap up the series and bring home the championship with a victory on Thursday. The series shifts to Boise, Idaho for the final two games. Bowen scored a game high 25 for Austin on 11-19 shooting in 40 minutes. Down two, 44-42 at half, Austin came out in the third and outscored Idaho 26-17 and received inspired [play from Carldell 'Squeaky' Johnson (5'10''-G-83, college: UAB) who played well off the bench for Andre Barrett who was injured early on. Johnson finished with 14 points, five rebounds and six assists. A theme for this series going in was that Idaho had the substantial size advantage down low with Cory Violette (6'8''-C/F-82, college: Gonzaga) and would feed him continuously. Last night, Violette did what was expected, leading Idaho with 20 points and a game high 14 rebounds, but Austin used its leaner, though more athletic combination og Josh Gross, Bowen and Ian Mahinmi (6'9''-F/C-86), along with veteran Darvin Ham (6'7''-F-73, college: Texas Tech) who collected 13 rebounds, to counter the inside presence of Idaho. While Austin was out-rebounded 47-39 for the game, they shot better from the field (47.4% vs. 41.3) and played solid defense on Randy Livingston (6'4''-G-75, college: LSU) and Roberto Bergersen (6'6''-G/F-76, college: Boise St.) who combined for 23 points on only 10-24 shooting, including 3-18 from behind the arc. The two teams will travel to Boise and have a day of rest before playing game two on Thursday night.
STAMPEDE: Cory Violette (20p+14rb), Jason Ellis (15p+9rb), Luke Jackson (15p), Roberto Bergersen (13p+7rb)
TOROS: Justin Bowen (25p+5rb), Carldell 'Squeaky' Johnson (14p+5rb+6as), Darvin Ham (12p+13rb), Ian Mahinmi (13p) |
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| D-League Finals Set: Idaho versus Austin in Game One | |
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| | | The top two seeds in the D-League playoffs will meet tonight in game one of a best-of-three series, as Austin hosts Idaho in the 2007-08 Championship. The Toros took the season series from Idaho 2-0. In a match-up full of former NBA players, a former D-League MVP and numerous NBA call-ups the D-League fan will get what the NBA fans can only hope for, the two best teams for the entire season will meet for the title.
How they got here;
Los Angeles D-Fenders (90) at Idaho Stampede (97)
D-FENDERS: Jelani McCoy (6'10''-F/C-77, college: UCLA) (23p+8rb), Coby Karl (20p+6as), Brandon Wallace (8p+15rb), Brian Morrison (11p)
STAMPEDE: Luke Jackson (6'7''-F/G-81, college: Oregon) (20p), Mike Taylor (18p+8rb), Cory Violette (14p+13rb), Roberto Bergersen (14p)
Sioux Falls Skyforce (93) at Austin Toros (99)
SKYFORCE: Carl Elliott (6'4''-G-83, college: George Washington) (25p+7rb), Glen McGowan (20p+7rb), Elton Nesbitt (20p+5rb+5as), Michael Joiner (12p+6rb)
TOROS: Ian Mahinmi (6'9''-F/C-86) (23p+12rb), Darvin Ham (22p+6rb), Andre Barrett (21p+7rb+5as), Justin Bowen (12p+7rb)
Finals Schedule
Game One: Monday 8:00 pm ET in Austin
Game Two: Thursday, 9:30 pm ET in Boise
Game Three:Friday, 9:30 pm ET in Boise (if necessary) |
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