SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Andre Dawkins scored a game-high 33 points on 10-of-18 shooting – including 5 for 8 from 3-point range – to lift the Sioux Falls Skyforce to a 103-96 win over the top-seeded Maine Red Claws in the first round of the NBA D-League Showcase Cup on Thursday night at the Kaiser Permanente Arena.
The Skyforce (12-10) used a 9-0 fourth-quarter run to pull away from an 82-all tie, and the lead never dipped below five the rest of the way.
Maine (16-5) had a 53-49 lead at halftime, but Sioux Falls (12-10) used a strong third quarter to pull ahead 77-69. The Red Claws quickly erased that deficit, scoring the first 10 points of the fourth quarter to go ahead by two.
Omari Johnson scored 26 points and Chris Babb added 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Red Claws, who shot just 37 percent from the field and went 12 for 22 from the foul line.
Tim Frazier also recorded a double-double for Maine, finishing with 11 rebounds and 10 assists and scoring seven points.
The Red Claws will face the Texas Legends (12-9) in a Showcase Cup consolation game at 1 p.m. Sunday.
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