http://www.feedthelions.comPistol Pete comes through late in Lions home openerWritten by Dave Wright
It was only natural that in their first game in their new arena the game would come down to the finals seconds. The Lion's Den will hopefully have finishes as thrilling as this for years to come. The Bronx crowd was deafening right from the opening tip and courtside Bronx owner
Randy Griffin sat with a pair of notable celebrities. The score was tied in impressive fashion 95 apiece with 8 seconds to go after a clutch jumper from Utah guard
Alec Burks. Lions Head Coach
Yao Ming promptly called a timeout and proceeded to call up a play for the Pistol. With
Tim Duncan inbounding the ball the Lions caught
Alec Burks overplaying Maravich who cut to the basket for the tough lay in over
Rudy Gobert. The score left three seconds on the clock giving Utah one final shot at winning the game. Unfortunately
Gordon Hayward's jumper at the buzzer was off and the Bronx held on for the win. Maravich finished the night with 24 points, 4 rebounds and 12 assists. It is difficult to believe the young man is in his first year in the league when looking at him on the court. "We all knew he was getting the ball when they tied the game" remarked Lions Center
Alonzo Mourning.
A remarkable effort by the Jazz sparked their comeback from down 13 in the 3rd quarter. They trailed most of the game but went on a 8-0 to end the third quarter to trim the lead to one heading into the fourth quarter. The fourth featured back and forth action until the very end with both sides continuously alternating control of the game. Duncan and Mourning combined for 28 points and 15 rebounds for the Bronx and went head to head with the Utah frontcourt.
Derrick Favors and
Trevor Booker surprisingly played very well in the final period against the youth of the Lions. Bronx doesn't have long to savor their home opener victory before
Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers stroll into town. The defending Eastern Conference Champions will be a true test for how good these 2-0 Lions truly are.
Lions NotablesP.Maravich- 24 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists
T.Duncan- 16 points, 7 rebounds
S.Cassell- 14 points, 3 assists
A.Mourning- 12 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks
Jazz NotablesG.Hayward- 25 points, 4 assists
A.Burks- 18 points, 4 assists
D.Favors- 16 points, 12 rebounds
T.Burke- 11 points, 15 assists