Reno Bighorns vs. Texas Legends, November 22, 2016

 

 

Tuesday, November 23, 2016                    Kyle Jones: kjones@renobighorns.com

BIGHORNS DEFEAT TEXAS WITH BUZZER BEATER FINISH

RENO, NV —- The Reno Bighorns (1-4) defeated to the Texas Legends (1-2) 110-108 Tuesday night at the Reno Events Center.

Sacramento Kings affiliate player, Lamar Patterson, led the Bighorns with 27 points, four rebounds, three assists and five steals. Kings assignment player, Malachi Richardson, followed Patterson close with 26 points two rebounds and three assists while assignment player Skal Labissiere had 21 points and eight rebounds in the Tuesday night contest. Isaiah Cousins would log his first double-double of the season with 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.

Jameel Warney paced the Legends with 24 points and seven rebounds as Manny Harris notched 19 points, ten rebounds and three assists.

The Bighorns jumped out to an early 5-2 lead and led by more than eight mid-way through the first. The Legends would go on an 8-0 run to lead the Bighorns 21-18 with 2:30 left to play in the first frame. Texas would keep control of the lead the remainder of the quarter, winning the frame 34-26. Labissiere would score 13 of his 21 points in the quarter behind a 6-7 shooting effort.

Legend’s Bryson Fonville sank a three in the opening minutes of the second quarter. The Bighorns responded with an 8-0 run behind a dunk from Cousins to edge the Legends 43-39 at the 7:19 mark. The Bighorns reclaimed the lead (53-49) after triples from Richardson and Patterson with 3:00 remaining in the first half. The Bighorns won the frame 31-17, going into the locker room at the half with a 57-51 lead.

The Bighorns shot 46.7% from the field in the first half compared to the Legends shooting 43.5%.

The Legends would chip away at the Bighorns lead, coming within two points (59-57) with 8:38 remaining in the third quarter. Cousins hit a three giving the Bighorns a seven point lead mid-way though the quarter. The Bighorns would control the lead going into the final frame with an 80-76 lead over the Legends.

The fourth quarter was a tightly contested battle that saw six lead changes and four ties. Legends’ C.J. Williams opened up the frame with a three to make the score 82-79 with 10:15 left in play. The Legends continued to close the deficit before a triple from Fonville gave the Legends a 91-90 lead at the 7:44 mark. Texas would get a five point advantage before the Bighorns answered with a 6-2 run to make it a one point Legends lead. With 2:24 remaining in play, Patterson stepped to the line and scored two after being fouled by Fonville giving the Bighorns a one point advantage. Richardson drove to the basket to score a layup to give the Bighorns a 108-106 advantage. With 16.7 in play, Warney scored two to tie the game at 108. On the final possession, Richardson would hit a jumper with .10 left in play to secure a 110-108 victory over the Texas Legends.

The Bighorns will Travel to Prescott, AZ to face the Northern Arizona Stars on Friday, Nov. 25 at 7 p.m

–bighorns—

About the Reno Bighorns:

The Reno Bighorns are a member of the NBA Development League, the official minor league of the NBA. The Bighorns are affiliated with the Sacramento Kings. Season tickets for the 2016-17 season are on sale now! For more information, call the Bighorns front office at 775-853-8220 or visit RenoBighorns.com. Follow us on Twitter @renobighorns and “like” the Bighorns on Facebook at facebook.com/bighornshoops. The NBA Development League is the NBA’s official minor league, preparing players, coaches, officials, trainers, and front-office staff for the NBA while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory. Featuring 22 teams with direct affiliations with NBA franchises for the 2016-17 season, the league offers elite professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. An all-time high 38 percent of all NBA players at the end of the 2015-16 season boasted NBA D-League experience. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. Fans can watch all NBA D-League games on nbadleague.com.