The Atlanta Hawks G-League affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, are locked in a tight battle for playoff seeding. Jason Marks has all the news, game results and call-ups from the BayHawks in our weekly Flyover series.
Pepperoni Ballin’
After over a month of anticipation, the Erie Pepperoni Balls were in action Friday night against the Maine Red Claws.
Raphiael Putney shone brightly, jovial pepperoni ball on his jersey grinning broadly, scoring 27 points and nabbing 9 rebounds.
Putney also had this spicy, breakaway dunk in the 1st quarter, showcasing a little “pep” in his step.
Look out below‼️
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) March 10, 2018
Pepperoni Balls (@ErieBayHawks) @RRPUTNEY3 rises for emphatic jam on the break!
After 1Q: @ErieBayHawks 28 - @maineredclaws 23
WATCH: https://t.co/O2eN9H4kLS pic.twitter.com/iLgiz0ahGL
John Gillon also made good with his time on the floor with 23 points and was a force from the free throw line hitting 13-14 from the stripe.
The Red Claws would try to make a comeback, but the Pepperoni Balls held it off with a 114-108 victory.
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The unique uniforms were auctioned off after the game with the proceeds going to the United Way of Erie.
If you’re still intrigued to exactly what a pepperoni ball is, the video shows some of the BayHawks players trying one out.
Taking Charge
Erie has had trouble topping the Canton Charge, but that all changed on Sunday. Seven BayHawks scored in double digits including Gillon with 20 points and 11 assists. Erie took control with 3 minutes left in the game breaking a 101-101 tie. Canton has been mathematically eliminated from postseason play with the loss while the BayHawks hold a 3.5 game lead over the Lakeland Magic for control of the Southeast Division.
The win is the 5th straight for Erie and their 8th win in the last 10 games. They currently hold the 3 seed in the Eastern Conference behind the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and the Westchester Knicks.
News and Notes
- With Jaylen Morris and Andrew White being called up to Atlanta, John Gillon had 20-point outings in both games after being a roster reserve.
- Tyler Cavanaugh was called up to the big club Monday as he’s been rehabbing an injury. He had a 15-point outing Friday night, and a double-double on Sunday with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
- Beau Beech had a 14-point outing in 28 minutes on the floor in Sunday’s win over Canton.
What’s Next?
A 3-game slate for the BayHawks starts on Tuesday with possible playoff implications against the top-seeded Westchester Knicks. Erie is 3 games behind the Knicks for the top spot. Their only meeting of the season was Jan. 27th which resulted in a 120-112 road win for the BayHawks. Putney scored 24 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. The difference this time around is Isaiah Taylor, Andrew White, and Tyler Cavanaugh won’t be on the roster.
Thursday, the BayHawks hit the road to Grand Rapids as the Drive is hanging out for playoff hopes. Their lone meeting was back on December 1st when the Drive pulled off a 108-105 overtime win in Erie. Kay Felder (former Hawk for a minute) leads Grand Rapids with 16.9 ppg and Larry Nnoko has been a force on the boards averaging 11 rebounds a game.
Next: Kent Bazemore Out For The Season
Saturday Night, the BayHawks look to better their playoff situation as they head to Fort Wayne, who is a half game ahead of Erie in the conference standings. Erie looks to sweep the season series as they defeated the Mad Ants 111-104.