Lamb leads 66ers to win in debut
BY ZAC PATTERSON World Sports Writer
Saturday, December 01, 2012
12/01/12 at 3:16 AM
BIXBY - Jeremy Lamb was the best player on the floor as the Tulsa 66ers hung on to beat the Rio Grande Valley Vipers 97-94 to continue their winning ways early in the season at SpiritBank Event Center.
Lamb, who was assigned to the 66ers from the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, made an impact on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball for the 66ers (3-0) in his first NBA Development League appearance. Lamb put up 33 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had four assists.
"He brought a lot of talent," said coach Darko Rajakovic. "He also did a pretty good job defensively tonight. He has the capacity to be a great player on both sides of the ball."
Lamb, a rookie out of Connecticut, was part of the trade that sent James Harden to the Rockets.
A 16-2 run spanning the third and fourth quarter sparked by eight points from Lamb put the 66ers in control 85-74 with 8:53 remaining.
The Vipers (1-2) clawed back to 96-94, but two missed free throws from Terrance Jones with eight seconds remaining, along with a missed jumper from Jones, gave Tulsa the victory.
Jones, a rookie out of Kentucky, paced the Vipers with 27 points and 16 rebounds.
DeAndre Liggins finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, and four assists for Tulsa. Guard Tony Taylor poured in 15 points, Dominique Sutton had 12, and Brady Morningstar added 10 off the bench.
Rio Grande Valley's Jeff Adrien, who had been averaging 23 points per game, was held to nine points thanks to strong defense from Daniel Orton.
Rajakovic was most impressed with the team's defense, which forced 16 Viper turnovers.
"We did a great job in the second half defensively; we played with a lot of energy. Those guys stick together."
Up next for the 66ers is the Sioux Falls Skyforce at 11 a.m. Wednesday. The game will wrap up a four game homestand for the 66ers to begin the season.
66ers up next
Vs. Sioux Falls 11 a.m. Wednesday
Zac Patterson 918-581-8355
zachary.patterson@tulsaworld.com
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