Kiwi Gardner has career night
If you didn't know the name Kiwi Gardner before tonight, you won't forget it anytime soon.
The Santa Cruz Warriors staged an improbable comeback as they trailed by 18 points with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Gardner entered the game to give the team a lift off the bench, and simultaneously put the D-League on notice.
Gardner scored a career-high 23 points in just over nine minutes to give the Warriors (6-2) the victory over the Bakersfield Jam (3-6), 112-106.
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"It's not over until the final buzzer sounds," said Gardner, "My teammates and I fought for 48 minutes."
Gardner shot 9-of-10 from the field including two three-pointers to help the Warriors defeat the Jam for the second consecutive contest.
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Teammate Seth Curry led all scorers with 25 points and 8 assists while William Buford contributed with 20 points and 4 rebounds.
Dewayne Dedmon had a double-double as he tallied 17 points to go along with 13 rebounds.
Damion James and Brian Butch recorded double-doubles of their own for the Jam. James notched 17 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, while Butch scored 10 points to go along with 14 rebounds.
The Warriors trailed 49-48 at halftime, and only managed to score 18 points in the third quarter to trail by 14 points heading into the final frame.
Taken in the seventh round of the D-League draft, Gardner tried out for the Sea-Dubs in Santa Cruz before training camp. After a successful performance, coaches invited him to the team's second tryout in his native Oakland.
Former Golden State Warriors player Ike Diogu made his return to the D-League suiting up for the Jam. He scored 9 points in just under 18 minutes on the court.
Despite being rolled over by several blindside screens from the much larger Diogu, Gardner continued to breathe life into the team, as they finished the game on an incredible 34-10 run with just over six minutes remaining.
The Jam had no answer for the onslaught from Gardner as he continued to pour it on. It was poetry in motion for Gardner as he could do no wrong, carving up defenders and finding his way to the hoop repeatedly. He even grabbed an offensive weak-side rebound and put the ball right back into the bucket.
The Warriors turned the ball over 12 times compared to 25 by the Jam.
The Warriors continue their road-trip as they face the Los Angeles D-Fenders on Saturday, tip-off is at 6:30 p.m.
