INDIANAPOLIS – Old rivals Indiana and Cleveland got together on Wednesday night for the final game of a four game season series with the Mad Ants coming out on top, 109-73. The 73 points were the least allowed in a game in Mad Ants history.
FIRST QUARTER
The opening of the game was a lot of back and forth with each team matching each other. At 7:30 when Isaiah Wong hit a corner three to put Indiana up 13-8, but Isaiah Mobley matched it on the other end for the Charge. Indiana pushed ahead 17-11 with 5:19 left in the first on a Jarace Walker free throw; he had eight of the Mad Ants’ first 17 points. At the 2:29 mark, Oscar Tshiebwe extended the Mad Ants possession with a second chance basket that made it 28-15 for Indiana with Pete Nance answering on the other end with a dunk. At the end of one, Indiana led 30-21.
SECOND QUARTER
Indiana maintained their double-digit lead early in the second, with Walker slamming it home with 9:24 remaining in the quarter to extend the advantage to 36-23. It wouldn’t be until the 7:41 mark of the second quarter before Cleveland got their second basket of the quarter on a Zhaire Smith put back, and one, but Indiana’s lead had moved to 41-26. After a couple of empty possessions for the Mad Ants, Cleveland was able to cut the lead to 41-28 before Kyle Mangas blocked Sharife Cooper’s shot and then finished on the other end with a scoop layup. With 1:44 to play, a Walker tip pass to Mangas for a three pushed the lead to 56-36. At the halftime break, Indiana led 60-41.
THIRD QUARTER
Cleveland fell behind 72-50 in the third quarter, and then went down 24 with 5:40 left in the quarter on a Tshiebwe jump hook. A Smith basket on the next Charge possession gave them some life to start a 4-0 run. After three, the Mad Ants lead was 85-60.
FOURTH QUARTER
With 10:22 left in the fourth, Walker ended a scoreless drought for both teams with a three pointer. The Charge wouldn’t get their first basket of the fourth quarter until the 7:33 mark on a Pete Nance jump hook. With 6:40 to play in the fourth, Craig hit another corner three to push Indiana’s lead to 96-62. Cleveland scored just four points in the first eight minutes of the quarter and 13 total in the fourth.
Indiana was led by 17 points from Walker and 16 from Brown. Tshiebwe posted a 14 point, 18 rebound double double.
Cleveland was led by 15 points from Pete Nance and 12 off the bench from Jon Elmore.
The Mad Ants now head west for a three-game road trip before the All-Star break, starting Friday as they visit the Stockton Kings.
Originally posted on gleague.nba.com