T-T-Toros Win the Championship!

The Austin Toros defeated the Los Angeles D-Fenders (owned and operated by the L.A. Lakers) 122-110 Saturday Night in L.A. to win the franchises' first Championship.

Not too many people may have seen this coming after Game 1 of the D League finals on Tuesday night.  But this championship series was all about heart, character, and determination.

AGAINST ALL ODDS

The series started out rough for Austin.  The Toros dropped a heartbreaking game in overtime 109-101 at home.  To add injury to insult, they lost Impact Player of the Year Eric Dawson within the first minute of the game with a concussion and then announced he was out for Game 2 as well.  To make it even worse, PG Cory Joseph was then recalled by the San Antonio Spurs.

Now all they had to do was win 2 straight games against the D-Fenders, lead by NBA D League Coach of the Year Eric Musselman, who were awarded the  2011-12 NBA Development League's Regular Season Championship having finished the season with an NBA D-League all-time best record of 38-12.  

The D-Fenders were 21-4 at home and hadn't lost a home game since January 28th, including 2 victories against the Toros during that span.  

And they were 5-0 in post season play at that point.

If coach Brad Jones felt like he was taking a knife to a gun fight, he sure didn't show it.

As Greg Ackerman had reported in his CulterMap article " "We'll see what happens when we get to L.A. A lot of people don't think we have a chance [of winning two in row in L.A.], but the guys in that locker room do."

That's really all that matters.

TEAM EFFORT

That belief in the players and the team is what lead to one of the most dramatic victories in D League history.

“We expected to win every game,” said Toros head coach Brad Jones. “We beat one heck of an L.A. D-Fenders team and we did it as a group so I’m really really excited for our guys.”

Sure, Impact Player of the Year Eric Dawson returned from injury and put up 21 points and grabbed 10 boards, and the MVP of the D League Justin Dentmon put up 30 points as well.  But the team is what won this championship. 

Guys like Julian Wright stepping up his game, Brad Wanamaker scoring 12 points higher than his average in the final game, Squeaky Johnson showing his veteran leadership both offensively and defensively, and Terrance Woodbury playing big time in all 3 games helped the Toros win this championship.

In this series, the best team won.

CELEBRATION TIME

Join the Austin Toros as they celebrate their championship this Monday night at 7pm at the Cedar Park Center.  The event and parking is free.  Players and coaches will be signing autographs.

Toros Take Charge Out of Canton - One Win From the NBA Development League Championship Series!

(Austin, Texas)  The Austin Toros stave off elimination, defeating the Canton Charge in Game 2 of the NBA Development League semi finals by 14 points, and are now just one win away from moving onto the Championship series to face the Los Angeles Defenders.

"We know it's going to be a dog fight out there tomorrow night," says Toros F/C Eric Dawson, who had 18 points and 8 rebounds.  "But at the end of the day, we want to be the ones that come out on top.  We're gonna play hard... whatever we got to do to win, so that's our mentality going in."

The Toros take on the Canton Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers) Sunday night at 6pm at the Cedar Park Center in a 'win or go home' elimination game.  Tickets are available at http://www.AustinToros.com.

COMPLETE TEAM EFFORT

In a night where Justin Dentmon was awarded the NBA Development League Most Valuable Player trophy and Eric Dawson was awarded the Impact Player of the Year trophy by Dan Read, the NBA D League president, it was the unheralded players that really stepped up quarter by quarter to make this victory happen.  In the first quarter, Cory Joseph lead the way with 8 points.  In the second quarter, Terrance Woodbury exploded with 11 points.  In the third quarter, Brad Wanamaker put up 9 points. 

"I just thought that tonight was a terrific team effort," said Austin Toros head Basketball coach Brad Jones after the game.  "We moved Flip (Murray) to the bench tonight because we wanted him to run that group tonight.  He had 12 points tonight.  I just told him in there I'm not so sure that a guy has ever dominated a game so much by scoring 12 points.  I thought Flip totally took control of the game in the 2nd half."

“He’s good,” said Canton Charge head Coach Alex Jensen. “He (Flip Murray) knows how to play.”

The fact that the Toros can bring Murray, a veteran of 487 NBA games, off the bench is a pretty clear indication of the talent the Toros possess.  During one stretch in the fourth quarter, all five Austin players on the floor had NBA experience. No player on the Charge has NBA experience.

 "I've harped all year long that we've had good depth and I thought tonight that our depth really showed, said Coach Jones for the Toros.

“If this was a boxing match, we were the one taking the punches,” Charge head coach Alex Jensen said. “They weren’t reacting to us at all. We were reacting to them all night.”

GREAT CHARACTER

The Austin Toros are now 3-0 in elimination games in these playoffs, and looking to go to 4-0 and earn a trip to the Finals.  The fact that they have played so well in these elimination games is a great testament to their character. 

"Really?  I thought it was just great coaching!  Wait a minute, you're telling me this is due to the players and not me?  That's it, I'm done (with this interview)" quipped Coach Jones, in his usual good humored way after the game to the amusement of everyone in the interview room.  "No, you guys have been around all year.  We've got tough guys." 

The Toros are 3-0 against the Charge this year in the Cedar Park Center, winning by 17, 21, and 14 points respectively.  But don't think for a second that Coach Jones is taking tonight's game lightly.

"Canton's a really good team.  Let's not just talk about us, let's talk about how good Canton is.  Those guys are awesome.  Coach Jensen has those guys playing phenomenal. Anytime we can get wins against those guys, they should throw parades for us along Cedar Park Main St... they're really really good, so for us to grind out that win and get back to who we are is an exciting thing."

In an elimination game, anything can happen.

“The beauty of this is we get another go at it,” Canton Coach Alex Jensen said. “I told them that Austin is the team with six NBA players and they can yield to that, or they can believe in themselves.”

THE CEDAR PARK CENTER FANS IMPACT ON THE GAMES

The crowd at the Cedar Park Center was rocking and rolling for the Toros on Saturday night.  It was the third straight playoff game with more than 3,300 people, and Coach Jones is looking for more of the same on Sunday.

"Everybody talks about playoff basketball and how players get more amped up, fired up, and play better," says Coach Jones.  "Well, our Toros Nation has stepped it up in the playoffs.  They have been awesome in all three home games.  I know they'll be out here Sunday, support us, and help us get into the finals!"

Eric Dawson, who was awarded the NBA D League Impact Player of the Year award earlier in the night, agreed with the coach.  "It (the crowd) made us play harder.  We can't let the fans down because they've been with us all year supporting us through thick and thin so this win was really for them.  We appreciate them coming out every night!"

Justin Dentmon, who was awarded with the NBA Development League Most Valuable Player award in the night, spoke about how the large crowds at the Cedar Park Center have impacted the Toros.  "We've been feeding off the crowd a lot.  Once you make a shot, the crowd gets into it, which rattles the other team."


"Stay tuned for Sunday night.  Come show us your support and let's get this win"

JUSTIN DENTMON WINS THE MVP AWARD

A sincere and heartfelt congratulations to Justin Dentmon for winning the 2011-12 NBA Development League Most Valuable Player Award.  Justin's performance this year has been sensational, and while the success this year has been the result of great teamwork, he certainly deserves recognition for his play this year.

Starting in 40 games for your Austin Toros this season Dentmon averaged 22.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.6 steals in 37.2 minutes of action per contest while shooting a highly efficient 46.8% from the floor, 42.9% from three-point range and 87.0% from the free throw line.  Dentmon was instrumental in leading Austin to a franchise best 33-win regular season, Dentmon has topped the 30-point mark six different times this season with the Toros going 4-2 in those games.

For more behind the scenes information, interviews, free prizes, and fan photos, 'Like' us on our Facebook Page at http://www.Facebook.com/AustinToros.

Hoops, Hounds, and Hurtin - Toros Get Bit By the Legends 105-97

(3/11/2012 - Cedar Park, Texas) It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and the Austin Toros felt the dog days of March biting them at the Cedar Park Center on Sunday, falling to the Texas Legends 105-97 in a game that saw 9 ties and 12 lead changes.  While the fans were celebrating 'Hoops and Hounds', where they could bring their pets to the basketball game, the Toros were just trying to stay healthy.

Trying.

Lost for the game were Jamarr Sanders (knee), Josh Davis (back), and Eric Dawson (ribs).

"It's kind of a helpless feeling all of the sudden when you look down and there's only two guys sitting on the bench," said Coach Brad Jones after the game.

The losses of Eric Dawson, who was recently playing for the San Antonio Spurs, and Josh Davis really hurt the Toros ability to keep the Legends off the boards.  Texas out-rebounded the Toros 61-41.  While the Toros showed great spirit defensively, holding the Legends to 40% shooting, the 21 offensive rebounds by the Legends were just too much to handle.

"I thought in the second half our guys really competed, but we just fell a little short," said Jones.

STATS


Justin Dentmon has his shooting stroke going again!  While Justin had a minor drop in shooting percentage recently, he's come back with a vengeance the past two games.  Yesterday, he scored 25 points and today had a season's best 35 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists on 67% shooting.  Da'Sean Butler also improved to a seasons best 22 points on 7-15 shooting from the field.  Julian Wright pitched in with a double double as well.  Here are the stats from the rest of the team (Source: http://www.AustinToros.com):

INJURY UPDATES

I had a chance to catch up with star Center Eric Dawson after the game and he seemed very optimistic about being able to play in Wednesday's game.  The coach did not give out any specific details on Sanders or Davis, simply stating that they were going to see the Doctor on Monday.  Let's all give some good thoughts to our guys getting healthy and getting back on the court quickly!

DEFENSIVE INTENSITY


For the third straight game, the Austin Toros have held their opponents under 48%, with the last two being 42% and 40% respectively.

"We've worked hard on trying to get better defensively, "says the coach.  "We feel like that's a big key going into the playoffs this year.  I'm not sure we're there yet but at least there's a little bit better effort."

In addition to some new personnel, like adding Josh Davis and Brad Wannamaker, they've also tried some different schemes defensively.

"We've played a lot of zone the last two games too that's helped us keep guys out of the paint."

In a day where we celebrated mans' best friends, the refs were not the Toros' best friend.  Unfortunately, with the increased intensity on defense has come an increased number of fouls, as the Toros sent the Legends to the line 39 times.  The Toros were only sent to the line 16 times.  In a 1-2 possession game, those trips to the foul line can be the difference between a win or a loss. Get

Continued defensive intensity and a little break from the injury bug should help the Toros get back to their winning ways.

NEXT GAME


Some more home cooking will help the Toros as well.  Wednesday night, the Toros take on the 5th best team in the league, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, at the Cedar Park Center at 7:30pm.

"It'll be a tough game," says Coach Jones.  "They play a good up and down pace, so we'll have to play good transition defense.  Hopefully we'll get our guys back healthy."

Wednesday's game is a 'Winning Wednesday' promotion, meaning that, well, let's let Austin Toros F Luke Zeller explain it:

Go Toros!

Austin Toros Watch Party

Finally, the Austin Toros are back in action after the All Star Break!

Lead by All Stars Leo Lyons and Justin Dentmon, the Toros are ready to take on the Texas Legends this Thursday night at 7pm.

While the game is in Dallas, you can still share the experience of an Austin Toros Basketball Game by attending our Watch Party!

Join Toros Nation on Thursday Night at Big Daddy's Burger to cheer on your Austin Toros at 7pm.

All fans that attend the 'Watch Party' will be entered to win San Antonio Spurs tickets and other great Austin Toros Prizes.

Big Daddy's is holding some specials for us as well:
* 1/2 off appetizers
* 23oz draft beers for the price of 16oz
* $2 Tecate

Big Daddy's Burgers and Bar is located at 9070 Research Blvd Ste 101 (Off 183 and Burnett). Share the experience...Go Toros!

Austin Toros Basketball | Girls Night Out 3/8/3012

A Message From the Austin Toros Players:  Justin Dentmon, Squeaky Johnson, and Leo Lyons

Austin Toros Basketball - http://www.AustinToros.com

Join the Austin Toros for 'Girls Night Out' Presented by Cedar Park Regional Medical Center - March 8th at 7-30pm at the Cedar Park Center.  The Austin Toros will take on the Sioux Falls Skyforce.  Tickets available at http://www.AustinToros.com.

Former Olympian Athlete and WNBA Player Marion Jones will be speaking at 5:30pm.  The Toros will wear pink uniforms which will be auctioned off DURING the game so come out and bid on your favorite player's uniform! All proceeds will go to the Breast Cancer Resource Center.

The Austin Toros are the NBA Development League team owned and operated by the San Antonio Spurs. If you enjoy Austin Entertainment, then you will enjoy the professional basketball games played at the Cedar Park Center.

Thursday's Game is also 'Thirsty Thursday', which means draft beers will be just $3!

Share the experience!  Go Toros!   http://youtu.be/RTXhsxUu5Jg

Toros 86 the Tulsa 66ers with a 114-87 Victory

(2/22/2012 - Cedar Park, Texas) Home sweet home!

After a rough road trip, the Austin Toros returned to their home stadium and their winning ways, stampeding the Tulsa 66ers 114-87 lead by NBA Development League All Stars Justin Dentmon and Leo Lyons.

Justin Dentmon scored a game high 32 points on a very efficient 10-18 shooting night, including 6 3-pointers, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds.  Leo Lyons put up 19 points and 7 boards as well, hitting on 7 of 10 shots.

The Toros took a 9 point lead into the half off a last second 3 point shot by Squeaky Johnson, but the Toros really turned it on in the second half, outscoring Tulsa 58-40, reversing the recent trend of struggling in the second half of games. 

Listen to ESPN Austin's Stew Myrick and Lincoln Rose share their post game analysis of the Austin Toros game:

"We've been focusing on being more tough coming out of half time, more mentally tough," says Toros PG and Player of the Game Justin Dentmon.  "We've been going into half time with a good lead or close and we give it away."  

The Toros definitely played two solid halves in this one.  Overall, the Toros shots 58% from the field, 46% from the 3 point line, and 80% from the charity stripe.  This improved scoring has been the focus of practices of late.

"We've been scoring under 100 points, which is not like us.  We're one of the top scoring teams in the league.  We want to get our number up there, and then we'll be successful," says Dentmon.

NEW FACES TO THE TEAM

The Cedar Park Center welcomed the home debut of two new players Julian Sensley and Ronald Allen, each who contributed nicely with 16 and 7 points respectively.

But perhaps the biggest addition is the return of fan favorite Squeaky Johnson to the team.  Squeaky pitched in with 11 points and 8 assists, giving Coach Brad Jones 2 capable point guards who are comfortable playing off the ball as well.  With two solid ball handling guards capable of playing together, Toros fans can expect to see their team eclipsing the century mark consistently.

HEAD COACH BRAD JONES


As a special treat for Toros fans, head coach Brad Jones let us into the locker room after the game to hear the victorious speech.  Here is the clip Brad Jones addressing the team:

 NEXT UP FOR THE TOROS

The Toros coaching staff and players will enjoy the All Star Break this coming weekend, then take a trip to Dallas for 2 games against the Texas Legends.  The Toros are 5-0 this year against the Legends, so you can bet they're going to come out wanting Toros blood.  Tune into NBA Futurecast to watch the games.

The Toros return to the Cedar Park Center on Thursday, March 8, at 7:30pm to take on the Sioux Falls Skyforce.  The Skyforce are owned and operated by the Heat, Magic, and Timberwolves and feature such stars as Anthony Mason and Trey Guilder.

Thursday's game features 'Thirsty Thursday' for fans with $3 draft beers available.  Also, March 8th is Austin Toros 'Girls Night Out' sponsored by the Cedar Park Regional Medical Center.  Former Olympic Athlete and WNBA player Marion Jones will be speaking at 5:30pm and the Toros will be auctioning off Pink Toros Jerseys during the game.  For more information on tickets, please visit www.AustinToros.com.

Share the experience!  Go Toros!

Toros Update (Week of 1/23/2012)

Toros Continue Sizzling Start

The Austin Toros continued to build on the best start in league history by sweeping the Idaho Stampede on Friday and Saturday for a pair of wins.  Justin Dentmon averaged 23 points per game in this weekend’s games coming off of an NBA D-League Player of the Week nod.

Playoff Push Continues

#1 Austin Toros 18-4

#2 Iowa Energy 16-6

#3 Los Angeles D-Fenders 17-8

#4 Rio Grande Valley Vipers 15-9

#5 Bakersfield Jam 12-10

#6 Tulsa 66ers 12-12

#7 Reno Bighorns 11-12

#8 Springfield Armor 11-12

Squeaky Johnson Coming to Your TV

The Toros parent team, the San Antonio Spurs, will be visiting the New Orleans Hornets tonight on FOX Sports Southwest.  This will be the Spurs first matchup with the team that has Squeaky under roster.  It will air at 7 PM.

What’s up next?

The Toros will travel to Iowa on Friday to play the team currently right behind them in the standings at 7 PM.  The game can be seen online at www.AustinToros.com for free.  Next week, the Toros will host a back to back at the Cedar Park Center.  The Rio Grande Valley Vipers will visit on Tuesday January 31^st at a special time of 11 AM followed by a game the next night on February 1^st at 7:30 PM.

Join us on Tuesday, January 24^th for Trivia Night with the Austin Toros

This Tuesday the 24^th, The Dig Pub in Cedar Park will host “Binge Thinking Trivia Night with the Austin Toros.”  This event will take place at The Dig Pub located at 401 Cypress Creek Rd. from 7-9pm.  Bring your friends, create a team to compete in a game of trivia and be teamed up with a player from the Austin Toros to play with you.  Win prizes and try The Dig Pub’s great line-up of food and beer!

Do you follow the Austin Toros on Facebook and Twitter?

Stay up-to-date on Toros breaking news, score updates and special offers by following the Toros on Facebook (www.facebook.com/austintoros), Twitter (www.twitter.com/austintoros), and Google+ (www.gplus.to/AustinToros). 

Coach Taylor Jenkins radio interview

Listen to Asst. Coach Taylor Jenkins talk Toros basketball to our good friends at 104.9FM the Horn.

Coach Jenkins Interview

Video Highlights

Toros vs. Idaho 1/21 - http://www.nba.com/dleague/video/2012/01/22/HighlightsAUSIDA012112flv-1974075

Toros vs. Idaho 1/20 - http://www.nba.com/dleague/video/2012/01/21/highlightsausida012012flv-1973085