Tamar Bates scored 31 points on a blistering 13-18 shooting, and Curtis Jones added 28 as the Grand Rapids Gold ran away at the end to beat the Cleveland Charge 132-118. Luke Travers scored 20 points and dished
five assists, while Killian Hayes played well off the bench (19 points, seven assists) to pace the Charge, who led by three at the half.
It was a sloppy final frame that did the Charge in. They turned the ball over too many times and failed to get any momentum on the offensive end. Despite shooting just 30% from deep, the Gold still managed to put up over 130 points, including 73 in the second half.
“It was tough,” Charge head coach Eli Kell-Abrams said about the fourth quarter. “We continue to preach to get stops, and credit to them, they are a very good team. We needed to get stops, especially when we were down a little throughout the fourth quarter, and we were just unable to string them together.”
“Our identity is to keep trying to string defense to offense as quickly as possible,” Kell-Abrams said after the game. “I would put us up there against anybody when we’re able to get stops and get out and run. But it starts with getting stops.”
Miller Kopp, who finished with seven points on 3-5 shooting, said that the flow of the game in the fourth quarter messed with the Charge as they attempted to mount a comeback.
“We play a certain style, fast-paced, up-tempo, and I think we got away from that in the fourth quarter,” Kopp said. “That allowed them to play to their advantage.”
There were several coaches’ challenges down the stretch that halted the game for both sides, something that Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson himself has been very vocal about because it can mess up an offense predicated on moving quickly.
‘The biggest thing is the next possession after that (challenge),“ Kopp said. ”Who can be the first team ready? Who can be the first five (players) to lock in and either get a stop or execute and get a good shot? That’s the main focus coming out of a longer timeout or challenge.“
When asked if Grand Rapids was doing anything different in the fourth quarter to throw a wrench in Cleveland’s offense, Kopp said it came down to focus and maintaining identity.
“You have to be relentless with that and impose your will and your style on the game. Can we stick to our identity for 48 minutes?”
On a night where the defense fell apart in the second half and the offense could not put together enough buckets to keep up, Hayes was a bright spot off the bench. The former seventh-overall pick in the NBA Draft is working his way back from an injury, but looked solid in his time on the court. Kell-Abrams was pleased with how he looked.
“I love that he went 26 minutes, pain-free, and he was able to get 19 (points) and seven (assists) and really get himself going. The reads are coming a little fast, but I thought he was very productive.”
“For him, just being this incredible connector, he has this innate gift to get into the paint,” Kell-Abrams said about what the goal is for Hayes moving forward. “I think for the most part in two games he’s been pretty good.”
The Charge play the Gold again on Saturday at 7:00 PM.
