Mad Ants’ season ends in Osceola

The REPORTER

The Indiana Mad Ants hit the road Thursday night to take on the Osceola Magic in the second round of the NBA G League Playoffs. In a single-elimination game, the Mad Ants’ season came to an end with a final score of 129-114. Indiana trailed for most of the game but brought it to a 10-point game during the fourth quarter. However, Osceola pulled away late to clinch the win. Quenton Jackson scored 33 points for Indiana in the defeat.

The Mad Ants had reinforcements Thursday night with RayJ Dennis, Enrique Freeman, Johnny Furphy and Quenton Jackson all active for Indiana. It was Jahlil Okafor who scored the first points of the night for the Mad Ants. The veteran center absorbed contact on the second possession and scored with a layup.

Osceola began the game on a 12-2 run. The Mad Ants fought back throughout the early part of the first quarter. They trailed the Magic 19-10 five minutes into the game.

The Magic shot 76 percent (16-21) from the field in the first quarter. The Mad Ants trailed Osceola 47-26 after one quarter of play. Furphy led Indiana with eight points in the quarter.

Okafor scored the first points for the Mad Ants in the second quarter. The offense was held scoreless for the first three minutes of the quarter. Okafor cleaned up a missed shot and scored with a contested layup. Next time down the floor, Jackson knocked down a triple.

The Mad Ants continued to battle throughout the first half. However, Osceola continued to score frequently. The Magic shot 61 percent from the field compared to 35 percent for Indiana. The Mad Ants trailed 80-52 at halftime. Jackson led the team with 17 first-half points.

Okafor scored the first points of the second half. On the opening possession of the third quarter, the veteran center spun around a defender and finished at the rim with a layup. Next time down the floor, Jackson beat the shot clock with a long-range three.

Jackson continued to shine for Indiana in the third quarter. The two-way guard led the Mad Ants with 24 points heading into the fourth quarter. After three quarters of play, Indiana trailed 102-83.

Okafor scored the first points for Indiana in the fourth quarter. On the first possession of the quarter, the Illinois native battled through the defense and finished with a layup. His field goal gave him 14 points on the night.

Indiana never gave up and brough the game to a 15-point deficit with nine minutes remaining. On the next possession, Furphy continued to trim the lead with a contested layup. The Mad Ants trailed 109-96 with just under eight minutes to go in the quarter.

Cameron McGriff made it a 10-point game with 6:30 left in the game. The Oklahoma State alum knocked down a contested three-pointer. For McGriff, it was his second field goal from downtown.

After a brief run from the Magic, Indiana battled back thanks to Jackson. The two-way guard scored five points in consecutive possessions with a two-handed dunk and a three-pointer. This prompted a timeout from Osceola. With 3:09 left in regulation, Indiana trailed 123-112 and its comeback attempt fell short down the stretch.

In the other Eastern Conference semifinals matchup, the Maine Celtics defeated the Westchester Knicks by a final score of 124-118. In the Western Conference, the Austin Spurs hosted the Salt Lake City Stars, and the Stockton Kings hosted the Valley Suns.

The Conference Finals will be played on Sunday and will be a single-elimination matchup. The NBA G League Finals begins on April 8 and will be a best-of-three series.