-The Grand Rapids Gold (1-0) secured their season's first win against the Sioux Falls Skyforce (0-3), after trailing 15 points at the half, but ramped up the intensity during the fourth quarter to secure the win (103-99). The Gold struggled to find their offensive rhythm, as they only shot 36% from the field compared to 43.5% for the Skyforce, but ultimately made an aggressive push in the final minutes of the fourth by crashing the boards and transitioning into quick offensive runs to cut at the deficit and take the lead. NBA veteran and guard Lance Stephenson quickly took the reigns after the Gold trailed at the start of the half. Stephenson turned up the intensity offensively, resulting in a team-high 26 points in addition to 9 rebounds, while shooting 42.1% from the field. Nik Stauskas added a solid 24 points and 4 rebounds, followed by Nuggets two-way player Petr Cornelie, tallying up a double-double with 18 points, 17 rebounds and 2 assists on 50% shooting. Davon Reed added another 13 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals to help push the away team to victory. The Skyforce held the lead for most of the game, but the Gold held fast throughout, resulting in 11 lead changes and 11 ties. Brandon Knight led the home team in scoring, tallying up 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Javonte Smart added another 18 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists, followed by Micah Potter with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists. Heat two-way player Marcus Garrett put up an impressive double-double with 14 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists. The Gold will seek to secure another win against the Skyforce during a rematch in Sioux Falls, SD on Saturday, November 13. Tip-off is at 8:00 PM local time. Grand Rapids Gold News Release
