The Salt Lake City Stars, the official NBA G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz, defeated the Sioux Falls Skyforce 116-114 tonight to begin the club's three-game road trip. The Stars were led by Isaiah Cousins, who tied his NBA G League career-high with 32 points, including 20 points in the first half, the most he has scored in any half this season. Isaac Haas recorded the first double-double of his NBA G League career with career-bests of 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Jairus Lyles tallied his fourth 20-point game of the season with 21 points, connecting on a career-high 11 free throws. Justin Reyes led all Stars reserves with an NBA G League career-high 17 points (14 in the first half), finishing with a game-high plus/minus of +18. Three Sioux Falls players reached the 20-point threshold, led by Miami HEAT two-way player Duncan Robinson, who scored 26 points (16 in the fourth quarter). Raphiael Putney logged a 20/10 game with 21 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, and Charles Cooke III scored 23 points. Rodney Purvis finished with 15 points and a game-high nine assists. The Skyforce built a 14-point advantage in the first quarter, leading 18-4 with 6:53 remaining in the first frame. The Stars chipped away, using a 20-8 run to trim the lead to two points (26-24) with 1:34 remaining in the first period. Salt Lake City took its first lead of the game (55-54) off a Deonte Burton driving layup with 1:31 remaining in the first half and entered intermission with a five-point edge (63-58). The Stars never relinquished the lead in the second half, owning a 10-point advantage (111-101) with 1:26 remaining in the game. The Skyforce went on a 10-2 run to cut the lead to just two points (113-111) with 19.5 seconds left in the contest, but the Stars held on for the two-point victory. The Stars connected on a season-high 34 free throws, shooting 81.0 percent from the line. Salt Lake City held the edge in rebounds (46-36) and steals (12-10), while Sioux Falls hit more three-pointers (15-12) and blocked more shots (6-2). Salt Lake City will continue its three-game road trip with a stop in Washington, D.C., for a game against the Capital City Go-Go (Washington Wizards affiliate) on Friday, Feb. 1. The contest, which is the first game of a road back-to-back set, starts at 5 p.m. (MT) and will be broadcast on Facebook Live, which can be accessed via the Salt Lake City Stars Facebook page. News Release
