Highlights:
The Austin Spurs fell 94-92 to the defending NBA D-League Champions Santa Cruz Warriors in front of 1,930 fans inside the Kaiser Permanente Arena on Friday night. The loss was the first of the season for Austin, who came into the contest as one of three unbeaten teams left in the league.
Austin was led by Deshaun Thomas’ 17 points. Both Orlando Johnson and Keifer Sykes added 16 for the Spurs, who had five players in double figures.
The Spurs outscored the Warriors 24-15 in the second quarter to take a six point lead into halftime. The second half was an even sided affair that saw 9 lead changes and 5 ties.
Santa Cruz trailed late, but rallied to take a lead with four minutes left. The Spurs responded by taking the lead right back and the Warriors answered by tying the game at 92 all with 16.5 seconds remaining.
Chris Udofia nailed the 12-foot jumper at the buzzer to hand Austin their first loss. The Warriors were led by Elliot Williams 26 points and 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. Udofia 16 points and 12 rebounds, including the game-winner.
Spursfic Night: Austin Spurs alumni Jonathon Simmons scored a career-high 12 points for the parent club San Antonio Spurs in their win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
The Spurs are now 4-1 on the season and will return to the court tomorrow for a rematch with Santa Cruz at 9 p.m. inside Kaiser Permanente Arena.
