As the 2013-2014 D-League season begins to wind down, the Texas Legends need to get hot to keep hope alive for a playoff appearance. But with P.J. Hairston and Melvin Ely now back and ready after dealing with injury issues, the time could be now for the Legends to string some wins together.
L Texas Legends (21-24) Vs. Bakersfield (18-24)—106-114
In front of just under 6,000 fans at the Dr. Pepper Arena, the Legends’ defense just couldn’t come up with the crucial stops when they needed them most. The Legends had no answers for the Jam’s Ike Diogu, as the 6’8” forward from Arizona State led all scorers with 30 points and also picked up 19 boards.
Star P.J. Hairston returned from injury with a bang, scoring 29 points in just over 32 minutes. Damion James (17 pts, 13 rebs) and Melvin Ely (16 pts, 11 rebs) each tallied double-doubles in the Legends’ home loss.
L Texas Legends (21-25) Vs. Tulsa 66ers (21-24)—100-110
Heading into the fourth quarter at the 66ers’ SpiritBank Event Center in Tulsa, it appeared the Legends were headed for a win, up 81-76. But the 66ers had other plans. Digging deep and finding an extra gear, Tulsa went on an impressive 35-19 fourth quarter run that sealed the win.
Both Ricky Ledo (21 pts, 12 rebs) and Damion James (19 pts, 10 rebs) notched double-doubles for the Legends and Booker Woodfox scored 17 from the bench.
Player Spotlight: Booker Woodfox
When it comes to the subtle nuances that define pure shooters, Booker Woodfox specializes in the rarest of gifts: other-worldly touch from beyond the arc. Woodfox, a Lewisville High School product and former All-American while at Creighton, leads the Legends in three-point field goal percentage at a robust 47.3%.
He is also no slouch when it comes to knocking down the crucial free throw. From the charity stripe, he trails only Mickey McConnell (86.3%) in F/T%, successfully sinking shots 80.3% of the time.
It’s not as though Woodfox has just come into his own, however, as he has been an impact sixth man since his Legends debut back in 2010. He averaged 11 points per game during the 2010-2011 season and topped that last season, averaging 15 points per game. This season, once again, Woodfox has added another layer of depth during even the most clutch of situations.
Upcoming Texas Legends Games
The Texas Legends return home to Frisco next Saturday, April 5 for a 7:00 PM tipoff against the Idaho Stampede. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster or you can catch all the live D-League action via the Legends’ official YouTube Channel.
