Tag: Izan Almansa

London Johnson paces G League Ignite in second FIBA Intercontinental Cup contest

London Johnson and John Jenkins combined to lead the Ignite on Saturday in a loss in the FIBA Continental Cup.

Potential second-round pick London Johnson and veteran John Jenkins combined to lead the G League Ignite on Saturday in a loss in the FIBA Continental Cup in Kallang, Singapore.

Johnson and Jenkins each scored 15 points apiece in the 98-89 loss to Sesi Franca of the Basketball Champions League in Brazil. Johnson added three assists and two rebounds, while Jenkins also had six assists and two rebounds.

Ron Holland, the potential No. 1 pick next year, chipped in 10 points and five rebounds, and Izan Almansa had 11 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Babacar Sane finished with 11 points and five rebounds while Tyler Smith recorded eight points and eight rebounds.

Matas Buzelis, Thierry Darlan and Dink Pate did not play.

The Ignite dropped to 0-2 during their stay in the tournament after falling to Al Ahly of the Egypt Basketball Super League on Thursday. Smith led all scorers with 18 points and six rebounds, while Holland had 15 points and Johnson added 10 points.

The team will wrap up its stay on Sunday against Al Manama of the Bahraini Premier League. The Ignite are one of six teams competing in the tournament representing different countries around the world, including China and Germany.

They open the regular season on Nov. 10 against the Ontario Clippers.

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Tyler Smith leads G League Ignite with 18 points in FIBA Intercontinental Cup

Smith on Thursday led the Ignite in a loss to open the 2023 FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Singapore.

Potential second-round pick Tyler Smith on Thursday led the G League Ignite in a loss to open the 2023 FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Kallang, Singapore.

Smith produced a game-high 18 points, six rebounds and one assist in an 82-76 loss to Al Ahly of the Egypt Basketball Super League. He went 6-of-13 from the field, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, in 23 minutes off the bench.

They received other contributions from their draft-eligible prospects.

Ron Holland, the potential No. 1 pick next year, added 15 points and five rebounds, and London Johnson chipped in 10 points, six assists, four rebounds and two blocks. Babacar Sane finished with seven points and seven rebounds, and Izan Almansa had four points and eight rebounds.

Matas Buzelis, Thierry Darlan and Dink Pate did not play in the contest.

The contest continued a busy preseason for the Ignite.

They recently completed a two-game series against the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League. Holland emerged as one of the standouts, averaging 28 points, 5.5 rebounds, four steals and 1.5 assists in those two exhibition contests.

The Ignite return to action in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup with their second of three games on Saturday. They are one of six teams competing in the tournament representing different countries around the world, including Bahrain, Brazil, China and Germany.

They open the regular season on Nov. 10 against the Ontario Clippers.

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G League Ignite: Ron Holland drops 33 points in preseason matchup vs. Perth

Holland had another strong performance on Friday to lead the Ignite in a preseason matchup with the Perth Wildcats.

Potential No. 1 pick Ron Holland had another strong performance on Friday to lead the G League Ignite in a preseason matchup with the Perth Wildcats of the NBL.

Holland produced 33 points, six rebounds, five steals and two steals in a 127-112 loss to the Wildcats. He once again looked comfortable on the court and showed his quick burst and ability to get downhill and draw contact at the rim. He went 12-of-14 from the free-throw line.

The 18-year-old recorded 23 points in his debut with the Ignite on Wednesday. He led all scorers and looked to be perhaps the best prospect in a game that also featured Izan Almansa, Matas Buzelis, Babacar Sane, Alexandre Sarr and Tyler Smith.

Bryce Cotton led the Wildcats with 40 points.

While the veteran Cotton stole the show for the Wildcats, Sarr, a potential lottery pick, registered a double-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots. The 7-footer showed his athleticism, length and overall ability in his two games against the Ignite.

With Holland leading the way for the Ignite, Buzelis scored 17 points and four rebounds. London Johnson added 14 points, five assists and three rebounds. Almansa had 13 points and four rebounds, and Sane added nine points and 12 rebounds off the bench.

With the two-game series versus the Wildcats wrapped up, the Ignite will continue to prepare in Henderson, Nevada, for the upcoming season. The team will open its regular season on Nov. 10 at home against the Ontario Clippers.

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G League Ignite: How each draft prospect performed in their debut on Wednesday

Potential No. 1 pick Ron Holland led the Ignite to a win over the Perth Wildcats on Wednesday in a preseason matchup.

Potential No. 1 pick Ron Holland made his professional debut on Wednesday and led the G League Ignite to a win over the Perth Wildcats in a preseason matchup in Henderson, Nevada.

Much like when they faced Metropolitans 92 last year, the Ignite are once again beginning their season against an international opponent. This time, they are facing the Wildcats of the NBL for a two-game series with the second contest to be played on Friday (9 p.m. EDT, NBA TV).

Holland led all scorers with 23 points, five rebounds, three steals, one assist and one blocked shot in the 124-105 victory. He went 9-of-13 from the field and looked to be comfortable pulling up from all over the court throughout the contest.

Holland is among several prospects that hit the court on Wednesday, including Izan Almansa, Matas Buzelis, Thierry Darlan, Dink Pate, Babacar Sane, Alexandre Sarr and Tyler Smith. With the exception of Pate, who is draft-eligible in 2025, each player is projected to be drafted next year.

Here is how each player performed on Wednesday.

FTW’s 2024 NBA mock draft: OKC Thunder adds Cody Williams, others

In @ForTheWin ‘s 2024 NBA mock draft, the Thunder added three players in the first round.

The 2023 NBA draft is over and the Oklahoma City Thunder came away with two rookies: Cason Wallace at No. 10 and Keyontae Johnson at No. 50.

Overall, it was a relatively quiet night for the Thunder. That is likely to change next year; OKC could own as many as four first-round picks:

  • Thunder first-round pick
  • LA Clippers first-round pick
  • Top-four protected Houston Rockets first-round pick
  • Top-10 protected Utah Jazz first-round pick

In For The Win’s 2024 mock draft, the Thunder had three first-round selections: their pick, the Rockets’ pick and the Clippers’ pick. Let’s look at who FTW’s Bryan Kalbrosky has the Thunder adding with their three selections. All ages listed are how old they’ll be when the 2024 draft is held: