:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59063385/20161205_Sioux_Falls_Long_Island_Nets_NSB_072.0.jpg)
The Long Island Nets lost to the Lakeland Magic at Nassau Coliseum Friday night and in doing so, gave their opponent some hope they can make the playoffs ... bypassing the Nets.
After the loss, Long Island is 25-21 with four games to play in the G-League’s regular season. If the season ended today, Long Island, along with the Grand Rapids Drive and the Raptors 905 would be wild cards in the Eastern Conference playoffs which start next weekend. But now, Lakeland is 24-22, a half game back of Long Island.
Playing without Isaiah Whitehead, who registered a DNP/CD with the parent club Friday, Long Island lost a tight game, 106-100. Milton Doyle registered 29 points on 10-of-20 shooting, including 7-of-9 from deep. He played a good all-around offensive game.
The Nets other two-way player, James Webb III, had a 2-of-7 night from beyond the arc, finishing with eight points and five rebounds.
Shannon Scott, filling in for Whitehead, had 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. The backcourt mate of D’Angelo Russell at Ohio State also had four steals and three turnovers.
For the Magic, seven-footer Byron Mullens tallied a team-high 27 points with 15 rebounds, three assists and three blocks for a double-double in 34 minutes. Mullens, 29, played five years in the NBA. Alan Anderson, the ex-Net also trying to make a comeback at age 35 scored 16 points.
Long Island and Lakeland played a fairly even game, with the score tied up at 56-56 at halftime after the Nets trailed by three following the first quarter. The score swapped after the third quarter when the Magic trailed by just three points. The Nets were down by one basket with under a minute to play, but were held to 14 points in the fourth quarter to fall by six.
- Game Report: Lakeland Magic 106, Long Island Nets 100 (with Video) - G-League
- Full Game (Video) - G-League