FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Marcus Simmons’ recent performance sent Terran Petteway to the bench, but the Nebraska product’s career-best 36 points carried the Fort Wayne Mad Ants to a 98-94 win over the Canton Charge.
Petteway netted 23 points during the first half on Friday, opening the game on 9-for-11 shooting from the field. The sixth man’s greatest impact, however, arrived later.
Petteway hit a floater and 3-pointer to spark Fort Wayne’s third-quarter comeback — helping the team recover from a 12-point deficit — and buried a triple to give the Mad Ants a four-point lead with 53.5 seconds remaining in the final frame.
“My teammates were doing a good job of finding me when I was open tonight, so I need to thank them for the game I had,” Petteway said.
Petteway finished 13-of-21 from the floor, burying 4-of-7 attempts from 3-point range. He added five rebounds and three steals.
“Petteway played unbelievable,” head coach Steve Gansey said. “I know he was a scorer at Nebraska — he led the Big Ten in scoring — and you saw it. You saw it tonight. He played unbelievable.”
Indiana Pacers assignee Rakeem Christmas added 18 points, six rebounds and five blocks for the Mad Ants, though he drew the toughest matchup of the night battling 7-3 Edy Tavares in the post.
“He’s a big body. He’s got long arms, tries to block everything,” Christmas said. “Coach told me to get off the blocks a little bit because [Tavares] is slow-footed and to beat him with my speed.”
Tavares appeared in his first game with Canton while on assignment from the Atlanta Hawks. The 2014 second-round draft pick managed four points and 12 rebounds off the bench.
Fellow Hawks assignee Tim Hardaway Jr. netted 19 points but shot 1-of-10 from long distance. Nick Minnerath scored 20 points to lead the Charge.
Fort Wayne improved to 6-3, while Canton dropped to 2-4.
Quick Hit
Seven NBA draft picks, plus Petteway and Shayne Whittington, played in Friday’s game.
“There was probably about a dozen scouts in the house,” Mad Ants general manager Brian Levy said. “Whoever draws the attention to the game, great, but for our guys to then perform on that stage I think is awesome.”
Observations
Terran Petteway: Put simply, he’s an NBA player. A scout said once an NBA team needs to replace an injured shooting guard, Petteway should be the first D-Leaguer to get a call.
Rakeem Christmas: Struggled with Tavares’ size and was occasionally tentative, but effort was never an issue. While Christmas certainly wasn’t scared of the challenge, NBA-sized centers will give him problems. Needs to be more decisive on jumpers. Virtual lock to miss when he hesitates.
Shayne Whittington: Hasn’t found his stride yet. Though Whittington missed a handful of games because of a rib injury, the Pacers assignee is shooting 22.6 percent from 3-point range. He’s taking good shots, but they aren’t falling. Patience is the biggest thing necessary here.
Mad Ants: Gansey said the offense is looking for 25 to 30 3-point attempts per night. Fort Wayne hoisted 18 on Friday. The bigger issue, though, is the team connected on just four — Petteway had all of them. When the inevitable NBA offer comes, the Mad Ants desperately need someone to replace him.
Edy Tavares: Not a great performance from him statistically, but Fort Wayne wanted little to do with the lane when Tavares was in the game. He lumbers down the floor and is slow laterally — way too slow for the NBA right now. Tavares needs D-League work, but he’s only 23. Again, patience.
Tim Hardaway Jr.: Bad shot after bad shot after bad shot. It was Hardaway’s first game with a brand new set of teammates, and that’s not insignificant. Regardless, a poor night from him offensively.
Joe Harris: On assignment from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Joe Harris did little to show he should be in the NBA. Harris’ redeeming quality is spot-shooting, but he missed most of his open looks. As long as Harris isn’t knocking down catch-and-shoot jumpers, the D-League is his home.
Damien Inglis: The last of six NBA assignees who appeared in Friday’s contest was Damien Inglis, a 20-year-old representing the Milwaukee Bucks. Inglis is the problem tweener. Not big enough to play power forward, doesn’t shoot well enough to play the 3. Good court vision but reluctant shooter, even from 15 feet.