Indiana Mad Ants kick off 2023-24 season with win over Sioux Falls Skyforce
The Indiana Mad Ants, the G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers, kicked off their 2023-24 campaign on Saturday night.
They were on the road battling the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the Sanford Pentagon. It was opening night for both teams. The Mad Ants, led by head coach Tom Hankins, were joined by all three players on two-way contracts with the Pacers — since the NBA club is mostly healthy, Isaiah Wong, Oscar Tshiebwe, and Kendall Brown are all in the G League.
That gave them a talent advantage, though they were without draft pick Mojave King (left foot) and Elfrid Payton (thigh). Even without them, the Mad Ants were ready to run in the first half.
Despite trailing by two after the first frame, Indiana dominated the early portion of the second. They went on an 8-0 run early in the period and were up by as much as 20 in the quarter. All three of the two-way contract players contributed early, and Tshiebwe was leading the way.
The second quarter was 36-16 in favor of the Mad Ants, and they led by 18 at halftime. Their offense came alive in the second quarter.
"We shared the ball, we cared much about winning," Tshiebwe said in a postgame interview on the Bally Sports Sun broadcast of the game.
Indiana's defense was weaker in the third period, allowing the Skyforce to score 39 points. But the road team scored 33 points themselves, so they maintained much of their lead and kept Sioux Falls at arms length.
The early fourth quarter featured another strong Mad Ants run, and they ballooned their lead as high as 21. Despite a few hiccups down the stretch, they held on to win 129-114.
Brown finished with 12 points, three rebounds, and three assists. It's his second consecutive season on a two-way deal with the blue and gold. Wong, who the Pacers drafted 55th overall, had 14 points, four rebounds, and two assists.
Tshiebwe was the star of the show, finishing with 33 points and 23 rebounds. The Mad Ants won his minutes by 18, he proved to be vital in a 15-point victory. "I just love fighting for rebounds," he said after the game.
Jordan Bell, Craig Sword, and Pedro Bradshaw all had nice outings off the bench for Indiana. They next play on Monday, when they host the Windy City Bulls for their home opener in Indianapolis.
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