2022 Winter Showcase Cup Updates

Showcase Cup Quarterfinals

No. 8 Maine Celtics 112, No. 1 South Bay Lakers 106

The No. 8 Celtics seemed as if they had squandered an opportunity to upset top-ranked South Bay, but came back down the stretch in an untimed 4th quarter to advance to the Showcase Cup Tournament Semifinals. Maine came out strong right out of the gates, taking a 40-20 lead after one quarter and keeping the lead to at least 11 through halftime. Second-half adjustments worked for the Lakers, who used a 9-2 run out of the locker room to cut the deficit to 7 before taking the lead on a JD Davison 3-pointer with 1:32 left in the 3rd quarter.

Trey Davis' halfcourt 3 at the buzzer to end the 3rd made it an 86-85 South Bay advantage entering the untimed 4th quarter, with a Final Target Score set at 111. Both sides traded buckets, but Denzel Valentine hit two clutch 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to pull the Celtics to within 1 point of a win before Mfiondu Kabengele finished off a missed layup to secure the victory. Valentine led all scorers with 25 points to go with 6 rebounds and 5 assists, while Kabengele (18 PTS, 10 REB) and Davison (14 PTS, 10 REB, 8 AST) also came up big for Maine. Bryce Hamilton led the way for South Bay in the loss with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists.

No. 7 Windy City Bulls 102, No. 2 Rio Grande Valley Vipers 96

Malcolm Hill hit a corner 3 to win it as the No. 7 Bulls held off a second-half comeback attempt by the No. 2 Vipers to advance to the Showcase Cup Semifinals. Hill scored a team-high 17 points to go with 5 rebounds and 5 assists for the Bulls, who used a balanced scoring attack to take a 64-34 halftime lead. The Vipers came roaring back in the second half, outscoring Windy City 31-13 in the 3rd quarter to cut into the deficit doing their best to complete the comeback in the final frame. The advantage proved too big, however, as Windy City was able to hit the Final Target Score of 102 before the defending G League Champions could complete the comeback. Trevor Hudgins led all scorers with 27 points on nine 3-pointers for the Vipers, while Louis King added 21 points and 5 assists in the loss.

No. 4 Ontario Clippers 121, No. 5 Iowa Wolves 95

The No. 4 Clippers came out hot from the start, outscoring Iowa 37-20 in the 2nd quarter to take the lead for good. At one point in the 2nd quarter, Brandon Boston Jr. and Nate Darling were outscoring the entire Wolves team and both finished with 33 points on the night. Darling's 33-point performance included a career-high 8 3-pointers to go along with 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Boston Jr., on assignment from the LA Clippers, hit 3 triples and added 6 rebounds. Javonte Cooke (20 PTS, 4 3PM) and P.J. Dozier (19 PTS, 13 REB) led the way for Iowa. The Clippers will face the No. 8 Maine Celtics in the Showcase Cup Semifinals on Tuesday.

No. 6 Cleveland Charge 120, No. 3 College Park Skyhawks 104

The No. 6 Charge became the third lower seed to come away with a victory on the day in the Showcase Cup Quarterfinals, pulling away from the No. 3 College Park Skyhawks, 25-15, in an untimed 4th quarter for a 120-104 victory. Two-way player Isaiah Mobley was terrific for the Charge, finishing two assists shy of a triple-double with career-highs in points (30) and assists (8) to go with his 12 rebounds. Superstar guard Sharife Cooper was his usual excellent self, scoring 25 points and adding 7 assists while hitting the game-winning free throws to secure the win. Mamadi Diakite added 25 points, 6 rebounds and 5 blocks while Nate Hinton and Didi Louzada both hit 4 triples in the game for Cleveland. Jarrett Culver led the Skyhawks in scoring during the loss, finishing with 24 points on 4 3-pointers made and 7 rebounds. A.J. Lawson (22 PTS, 5 REB) and Brandon Williams (18 PTS, 2 3PM) also provided key scoring for College Park. Cleveland advances to the Showcase Cup Semifinals, where they will take on the No. 7 Windy City Bulls on Tuesday at 11 pm/et on NBA TV.