D-Fenders lose D-League quarterfinals opener to Santa Cruz Warriors
The D-Fenders dropped the first game of the NBA D-League quarterfinals Thursday night, falling to the Santa Cruz Warriors, 140-127.
Seth Curry, brother of Golden State Warriors All-Star Steph Curry, scored 44 points to help the Warriors outscore the D-Fenders, 12-4, during a crucial late fourth-quarter run.
The D-Fenders were led by Terrence Williams with 27 points. Former Lakers forward Shawne Williams scored 10 points and had eight rebounds.
With the first game of the best-of-three series in Santa Cruz, the final two will be held at the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo, assuming the D-Fenders can force a Game 3 with a win on Saturday night.
The D-Fenders, the Lakers’ D-League affiliate, finished the season as the No. 2 playoff seed with a 31-19 record. The sixth-seeded Warriors ended two games back at 29-21.
The D-Fenders lost forward James Southerland, who was officially called up to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
The 6-foot-8 Southerland was averaging 14.7 points and 6.5 rebounds for the D-Fenders this season.
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Twitter: @EricPincus
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