(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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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