Giddens, Flash Edge Toros in Season Opener

Austin 93, Utah 91

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 28, 2008 – J.R. Giddens nailed a baseline jumper at the buzzer in overtime to lift the Utah Flash to a season-opening 93-91 victory over the Austin Toros Friday at the Austin Convention Center.

On assignment from the Boston Celtics, Giddens notched a double-double in his first action with the Flash, finishing with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Bill Walker, also on assignment from the Celtics, led all Flash scorers with 23 points and was credited with the assist on Giddens’ game-winner. He also collected eight rebounds.

The Flash (1-0) plays the second of a two-game road swing to Texas to open the season when they travel at Rio Grande Valley Saturday. Austin (0-1) hosts the Tulsa 66ers on Saturday.

Dontell Jefferson finished with 15 points and a game-high eight assists for Utah in the third straight overtime game between Flash and the Toros dating back to Dec. 21 of last season.

“We showed a lot of toughness tonight,” Flash coach Brad Jones said. “We had the game in control and then they made some shots and the momentum switched down the stretch in regulation.”

The Flash led 43-41 at the half and stretched their advantage to 80-68 with 4:11 to play on a Brian Jackson dunk. That was the last field goal for the Flash in regulation. In the final four minutes of regulation, Utah missed five field goal attempts, three of four free-throw attempts and turned the ball over three times. Austin made a trio of 3-pointers, including one from Malik Hairston with nine seconds left to force OT.

Hairston made another trey with 1:10 to play in overtime, before a Jefferson jumper with sixth-tenths to play gave the Flash a 91-89 advantage. After Marcus Williams missed a pair of free throws for Austin with two seconds left in overtime, Hairston got the rebound and was fouled, but the clock failed to run.

The officials put 0.6 on the clock and Hairston nailed both free throws before the teams called timeout and Giddens drained the game-winner.

“It would have been easy for us to lay down when things didn’t go our way, but we didn’t,” Jones said. “We won a game on road against a good team and that’s the bottom line.”

Williams finished with a game-high 27 points for Austin and added 10 boards for his first double-double of the season. Hairston followed with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Charles Gaines had 13 boards for the Toros.