After returning from the D-League Showcase in California, the Mad Ants hit the road once again last week for a pair of road games.
First, Fort Wayne traveled to Erie on Wednesday, Jan. 13 to take on the Erie Bayhawks. The Mad Ants fell into an early hole in the contest, trailing by 13 points after the first quarter and by 20 at halftime, and ultimately lost, 104-82.
Walter Lemon, Jr. led Fort Wayne with 18 points and five assists in the loss, while former Pacers training camp participant C.J. Fair added 14 points and five rebounds.
Pacers D-League assignee Rakeem Christmas had 11 points, four rebounds, two steals, and one block. Fellow Pacers assignee Shayne Whittington was give the night off.
After their game in Erie, the Mad Ants headed West for a date with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. A new player joined them in South Dakota, as the Mad Ants signed NBA veteran point guard John Lucas III on Thursday.
There wasn't much of a learning curve for Lucas, as the 33-year-old stepped seamlessly into the lineup. Lucas, who has played for the Rockets, Bulls, Raptors, Jazz, and Pistons, put together a very good Mad Ants debut, tallying a team-high 21 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals.
It wasn't quite enough, however, as the Skyforce held off the Mad Ants for a 109-104 win. Lemon, Jr. added 18 points and Fair had 17 in the loss.
Both Pacers assignees played big minutes in this game. Whittington had 11 points off the bench, while Christmas contributed seven points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Overall, the Mad Ants have dropped four straight games to fall to 11-11 on the season, tied with Iowa for fourth place in the Central Division. They'll look to get back on track this weekend in Maine, where they are scheduled to play a weekend doubleheader against the Red Claws, with games on Friday, Jan. 22 and Saturday, Jan. 23 (both will tip at 7:00 PM ET).
Stay tuned to Pacers.com for continued updates on the Mad Ants, and make sure to check out Pacers.com/MadAntsTV » to watch all remaining regular season Mad Ants games free online.