Lakers: D-Fenders Are Western Conference Champs, D-League Finals Bound

The Lakers’ D-League team, the Los Angeles D-Fenders, wiped the floor with the Austin Spurs 117-104 making Austin their house on Wednesday Night

Prior to this series, the D-Fenders downed the Reno Big Horns impressively picking up a series win on the road moving them to the Western Conference Finals. The D-Fenders faced off against the Austin Spurs in a three-game series with the winner advancing to the championship.

Game one was played at home, and the D-Fenders looked sharp with Vander Blue and Justin Harper leading the way. Both told the media post-game they were the best team in the league. That was yet to be seen, but you believed them when they told you.

Game two against the Spurs was in Austin, Texas but the game was stopped by officials in the third quarter because of extra condensation on the court due to humid weather and the ice rink under the hardwood. The game resumed a day later and the D-Fenders went down in flames, looking defeated.

It all came down to final game Wednesday night in Austin and things didn’t look too good to start the game. The D-Fenders were outscored, out rebounded, you name it, they looked exactly like they did in game 2.

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After a dismal first quarter, the team turned a corner in the second ending the first half up by ten by outscoring the Spurs 38-20 to take a 62-52 advantage.

From then on, they never looked back and even went up by 20. The outcome seemed sure, but this is the playoffs. At one point in the game, the Spurs coach even came onto the court to rile up his team warranting him a technical foul.

This tactic worked, as the Spurs started a little streak of their own, and the D-Fenders went cold for a bit in the second half. But LA kept their cool even though the Spurs actually came within six points of the lead with 7:11 to go in the game. To no avail, LA managed to come away with a 13 point victory.

Looking at this team at the end of the regular season, you wouldn’t have predicted that they would be the one heading into the D-League Finals based on their regular season record (27-23) paired with the idea they had lost home court advantage. However, the fact that they overcame the odds and made it to the biggest stage directly speaks to the team’s fortitude.

Ryan Gomes, the D-Leagues’ 2016 Impact Player of the Year, who received a huge trophy hit 13-of-19 shots for 35 points and 12 rebounds, serving as Wednesday night’s MVP.

Amazingly, the D-Fenders starters combined for 112 points out of the 117 total points scored in the game. Other than Gomes, Justin Hawkins scored 25 points, Josh Magette scored 16, and Andre Ingram scored 15.

It was no surprise that Gomes was the one being interviewed post game and asked about the starters all scoring in double figures,

"That was a key thing. I said we have to score in the 100’s for these guys, and we had to get more stops. Throughout the whole season, everyone got us to this point . . . I wanted to be a leader today, everyone contributed for us –and we played great defense — I think that frustrated them."

Ironically, Gomes signed with the team in January to see what he, “had left in the tank,” and it has turned out great for the D-Fenders thus far.

Based on the interview you call tell that the D-Fenders are actually a “team first” squad and you can thank coach Casey Owens for that, as he’s really gotten these players to buy in.

All-in-all, it was a fantastic win. The D-Fenders need to keep up the intensity and carry it through to El Segundo and then on to Sioux Falls for game 2, and game 3, if necessary.

Game one of the D-League Finals is this Sunday, April 24th at 4 p.m. at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California and on ESPNU. Tickets just went on sale!

The team was pretty excited post game, as they let Blue carry the trophy off the court, all trusting he would not let it go.

Next: Lakers: D-Fenders Win Big in Game 1 of West Finals

There’s a Purple and Gold party happening in Austin tonight, and Joey Buss is somewhere dancing in Los Angeles feeling pretty good about himself. Congratulations LA!