Toros Won’t Repeat as D-League Champions

The Austin Toros lost to the rival Colorado 14ers last night 114-111, ending their quest to repeat as D-League Champions. In a repeat of the teams’ previous meetings, the winner had to overcome a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter and the Toros’ superior shooting in the paint was matched by the 14ers superior shooting from the outside. The 14ers were 12 of 22 from 3 point territory while the Toros were only 5 of 16.

Marcus Williams had 33 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists for a triple-double while Malik Hairston had a game-high 37 points. Both players were on the floor all 48 minutes of the game.

The 14ers’ scoring was led by Sonny Weems who popped in 27 from the bench. The 14ers await the winner of Dakota versus Utah on Monday for the D-League 3 game playoff.

Congratulations to the Austin Toros for another great season of basketball.

The Austin Toros host a Basketball Skills Competition at the 2009 Texas Testosterone Festival. More details as they are available.

Toros Defeat Stampede, Advance in Playoffs

The Austin Toros brought back painful memories for the Idaho Stampede tonight, winning 119-116 in Overtime to advance in the D-League playoffs. The Toros defeated the Stampede last year in the playoffs to win the D-League Championship.

The Toros needed to recover 18 points in the 4th Quarter to tie the game at 113. 

Marcus Williams returned to the Toros from a short stint with the San Antonio Spurs to net 33 while Malik Hairston led the team in scoring with 34.  Williams scored the three pointer to put the game into Overtime and the final basket to put the game away. Combined, Williams and Hairston were 10 of 11 from 3 point territory. Nearly 1000 fans packed the Concordia University Fieldhouse for the nail-biter.

The Toros now take to the road to take on the rival Colorado 14ers, who defeated the Erie Bayhawks yesterday to advance. The matchup date has not yet been announced.

Update: The matchup date has been announced and will be this Saturday night at 8 PM CST in Colorado. Visit the D-League website for information on watching the game live on the web.

Austin Toros Head into Playoffs on Winning Streak

Malik Hairston has retained his leadership of the Austin Toros after leading the team in scoring for a combined 83 points in his last two games and a team 5-1 record in April, leading into the playoffs. The Toros swept the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to complete the season, 106-105, 110-106, and 120-106.

The winning ways for the Toros follows a disastrous, and mostly Malik Hairston-less, March where the team went 2-8 with all but one game on the road.

One position of concern for the Toros could be forward Eric Dawson, who has been providing diminishing returns in his last three starts - 18 points against Reno and then 13 and 10 points in the last two games against Rio Grande Valley, respectively. Dawson did not play in tonight’s game. Forward Ryan Bright started in his stead, scoring 14 points in 41 minutes of play. 

Dwayne Jones looks to be the Toros starting center going into the playoffs. The starting guards will most likely be Stanley Burrell and Squeaky Johnson. Johnson has been playing better of late. His shooting percentage was quite low in March and continues to be sub .500 in April but Squeaky did burst out for 25 points in the final game of the season, hitting 9 of 17 from the floor.

The playoff matchups are to be announced on the D-League website on Sunday at 5:15 PM CST. With the recent victories, the Toros are rewarded with the first round home game.

In other news, Toros coach Quin Snyder was awarded the Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year Award. 

Marcus Williams played 12 seconds for the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night. He was -4.

Austin Toros in Final Regular Season Stretch

The Austin Toros have four games in the next five days including tonight, tomorrow night, and Friday night at home. The Toros clinched a place in the playoffs Saturday by defeating the Iowa Energy 129-112.

Despite going 4-8 in their last twelve, including a disastrous month of March mostly spent on the road, the Toros have scored over 100 points in 8 of their last 9 games and have one the last two games since getting star guard Malik Hairston back.

The last four games of the regular season will surely be about getting some team chemistry together for the playoff run. The Toros bench has been used sparingly of late - only seven players got time on the floor Saturday.

The Austin Toros host a Basketball Skills Competition at the 2009 Texas Testosterone Festival. More details as they are available.

Ian Mahinmi Returns to the Toros

With the Austin Toros suffering through a brutal month of March in which the team played nearly every game on the road and came away with only two wins for their bus-punishing efforts, the team was greeted with good news last week with the San Antonio Spurs’ reassignment of Guard Malik Hairston. Today they were greeted with more good news - the reassignment of center Ian Mahinmi.

Mahinmi has spent much of this season with the Spurs, albeit on the DL. A right ankle injury has nagged him all season and was operated on January 31. Recuperation has been on the long end of the 6 to 10 weeks anticipated but Spurs and Toros fans hope the lengthy rehabilitation will bring Mahinmi back to the team in the sort of condition that got him All-NBA D-League First Team honors last season.

The Toros defeated the lowly Tulsa 66ers last night 131-119 by whipping up 41 points in the first quarter and cruising to victory from then on. The win snaps a three game losing streak and secures the Toros second place in the Southwest Division going into the playoffs with five games left. The Toros can clinch a playoff spot by defeating the Iowa Energy this Saturday night at the Austin Convention Center. Be there.

The Austin Toros host a Basketball Skills Competition at the 2009 Texas Testosterone Festival. More details as they are available.

Malik Hairston Returns to Rescue Toros

The Austin Toros were returned guard Malik Hairston yesterday from the San Antonio Spurs to rescue them from a disastrous and long road-trip that has them 2-6 in the month of March and put the cowardly Colorado 14ers 3 games ahead of the Toros in first place.  Only eight games remain in the regular season, five against sub-.500 teams and five at home.

Hairston appeared in 15 games for the Spurs and was an important contributor to an injury-plagued stretch for the Spurs. The question will be whether Hairston replaced new signee DeMarcus Wilson or struggling Ezra Williams in the starting lineup.

Eric Dawson Comes into Own Despite Toros’ Loss

Austin Toros Forward Eric Dawson has been looking for space on the floor. Averaging ten points a game despite over twenty-three minutes of gametime Dawson has had the faith of coach Quin Snyder. Last night Dawson provided one of the few bright spots in the Toros 102-94 loss to the Albuquerque Thunderbirds after posting 39 points and hitting an incredible 17 of 21 from the floor.

The Toros crumbled in the fourth quarter, turning a one point lead going into the final frame into an eight point deficit by the end of it. The Toros were 2 of 16 from 3-point territory and 12 of 20 from the three point line. Squeaky Johnson led the team with 11 assists but couldn’t find the basket - 1 of 7 from the paint and 0 for 3 in three point territory.

Recent injuries to the San Antonio Spurs’ roster has prompted the recent callups of Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Malik Hairston from the Toros. Forward / Center Ian Mahinmini has been with the Spurs since early in the Toros’ season. Hopefully there is still a core to the Toros that will be able to keep the team at the top of the Western Conference heading into the final two months of the season.

Malik Hairston Returns To Oregon for Spurs

San Antonio Spurs‘ Guard Malik Hairston picked up 5 rebounds, 6 points, and 3 assists off the bench during the San Antonio Spurs’ 102-84 loss to the Portland Trailblazers last night. Prior to his professional career, Hairston was an all-star guard for the University of Oregon. NBA.com reports Hairston was greeted warmly by the Oregon fans when he entered the game in the second quarter.

Despite the lop-sided overall score, Hairston was +7 during his 25 minutes on the floor.

Malik Hairston played with the Austin Toros earlier this season and was voted to the D-League’s All Star team. The Spurs are currently suffering from a number of injuries to their starting lineup and Hairston has been taking advantage of the opportunity to make an impact with the team during the opportunity.

The Austin Toros host a Basketball Skills Competition at the 2009 Texas Testosterone Festival. More details as they are available.

Toros Sweep 66ers in Weekend Series

Even without Malik Hairston, the Austin Toros are a force to be reckoned with. Hairston was recalled to the San Antonio Spurs Saturday and did not play Friday night. The lineup features a number of new faces. Fan favorite Carldell “Squeaky” Johnson celebrated his birthday Thursday by being waived by the Toros due to injury. He has been replaced by Guard Jason Parker, Forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu, and Guard Nate Brown.

Pops made an immediate impact in Friday’s game against the Tulsa 66ers by scoring 23 and collecting 13 rebounds. The Toros won Friday 111-91 and led by as many as 27 points, early in the third quarter.

Pops led the Toros with 25 more in Saturday’s game which the Toros won 102 to 88. Ezra Williams is making the most of his callup to the starting rotation with 20 points on Friday and 24 points on Saturday.

The Austin Toros host a Basketball Skills Competition at the 2009 Texas Testosterone Festival. More details as they are available.

Team Chips in for Toros Win

The Austin Toros brought out all the guns to hold off the lowly Anaheim Arsenals last night, 101 to 95. Starters Marcus Williams, Charles Gaines, Andre Brown, and Squeaky Johnson scored 22, 19, 18, and 17 respectively while Malik Hairston dropped in 12 from his reclining chair five yards from the visiting team’s bench. 

The Arsenals’ James White was the game’s top scorer with 31.

The Toros led the game at every moment after Andre Brown made his first jumpshot just over a minute into the game. And they made it look easy.

The Austin Toros continue to hold first place in the Southwestern Division and play at home Friday against the dastardly Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the last home game before a brutal eight-game road trip.

The Austin Toros host a Basketball Skills Competition at the 2009 Texas Testosterone Festival. More details as they are available.

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