The Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers' D-League affiliate, are closing in on a playoff berth after another strong week. Fort Wayne closed out their five-game Western Conference road trip with a win, then returned home and split a pair of games over the weekend, bringing its record to 26-19.
With five games left in the regular season, the Mad Ants are currently in third place in the Eastern Conference and have a firm grip on the fourth and final playoff spot in the East. Fort Wayne is two games up on the Delaware 87ers in the loss column.
The Mad Ants finished their five-game road trip on a high note last Wednesday, holding off a late rally by the Northern Arizona Suns (Phoenix's affiliate) to come away with a 123-122 win.
Former Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough was the star in the victory, recording a double-double with 25 points and 12 rebounds. Hansbrough went 9-for-13 from the field and 2-for-2 from 3-point range. Seven of his 12 rebounds came on the offensive glass.
Trey McKinney-Jones also scored 25 points for Fort Wayne, while former Pike High School star Marquis Teague added 18 points and nine assists off the bench. Former UIndy guard Jordan Loyd also scored 18 points and All-Star big man Alex Poythress chipped in 16 points and eight boards.
The Mad Ants returned home and picked up another victory on Saturday, thanks again to a monster performance from Hansbrough. The former North Carolina All-American amassed 31 points and 16 rebounds in a 116-109 win over Delaware (the 76ers' affiliate).
Poythress also had a big night, tallying 23 points, seven boards, and two blocks. McKinney-Jones scored 20 points, while Teague added 13 points and six assists.
The Mad Ants' success did not carry over to Sunday, however. The Austin Toros (San Antonio's affiliate) outscored Fort Wayne 39-22 in the second quarter on their way to a 110-88 victory.
McKinney-Jones had a team-high 16 points in the loss. Hansbrough chipped in 13 points and eight boards.
Hansbrough had not played professionally this season before signing with the Mad Ants a couple weeks ago, but he has shown little signs of rust. Through nine games, the 6-9 forward is averaging 14.8 points and 11.2 rebounds per game while shooting 53.1 percent from the field.
The next week is an important one for the Mad Ants. They host the Greensboro Swarm on Tuesday at 7:00 PM ET, then play a home-and-home with Grand Rapids over the weekend. They will host the Drive on Friday at 7:00 PM, then play them again on the road at the same time the next night.
Stay tuned to Pacers.com for continued updates on the Mad Ants, and make sure to check out Pacers.com/MadAntsTV » to watch Mad Ants games free online.