The Fort Report

Wheat Hotchkiss

The 2018-19 season came to an end for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers' G League affiliate, over the weekend. A seven-game losing streak doomed the Mad Ants' playoff hopes, but they closed the season on a high note, winning two of their final three games last week.

Fort Wayne picked up a 105-100 win over the Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee's affiliate) last Tuesday. Pacers rookie forward Alize Johnson had a team-high 20 points in the win and also pulled down nine rebounds.

Second-year Pacers guard Edmond Sumner chipped in 15 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Omari Johnson — who attended Pacers training camp last fall — tallied 17 points and seven boards, while Travin Thibodeaux had a double-double (12 points and 10 rebounds) off the bench.

Two nights later, the Mad Ants prevailed in their final road game of the season, beating the Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte's affiliate), 127-115. Alize Johnson had an eye-popping stat line in the win, with 13 points, 20 rebounds (eight offensive), and eight assists.

Stephan Hicks — who signed a 10-day contract with the Pacers earlier this season — had a team-high 25 points in the victory. Two-way guard Davon Reed added 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while Sumner tallied 16 points and seven assists.

The Mad Ants closed their season on Saturday with a narrow 121-118 loss to the Grand Rapids Drive (Detroit's affiliate). Johnson was once again the star, scoring 34 points on 13-of-24 shooting (4-of-9 from 3-point range) and pulling down 11 rebounds.

Rookie Rob Gray had 22 points, seven rebounds, and six assists off the bench. Hicks added 15 points and nine rebounds, Sumner scored 13 points and dished out 10 assists, and Reed chipped in 11 points, eight boards, five assists, and two steals.

The Mad Ants finished the year 23-27 and in third place in the Central Division. Sumner led the team in scoring, averaging 22.1 points and 4.1 assists over 26 games. Johnson played in 31 games for Fort Wayne, averaging 19.1 points and 13.5 rebounds while shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from 3-point range. Reed averaged 13.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists over 34 games.

Stay tuned to Pacers.com for continued updates on the Mad Ants, and make sure to check out Pacers.com/MadAntsTV » to watch select Mad Ants games for free online.

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The Fort Report: Mad Ants' Season Comes to End

The Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers' G League affiliate, have scuffled in recent weeks, dropping seven straight games. They got back in the win column, however, on Friday night with a 110-98 win over the Lakeland Magic (Orlando's affiliate).

Seven Mad Ants scored in double figures in the win. Jovan Mooring led Fort Wayne with 18 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, while Demetrius Denzel-Dyson added 17 points off the bench.

Pacers two-way guard Davon Reed tallied 16 points and eight boards, going 5-for-13 from the field and 2-for-5 from 3-point range.

Jordan Barnett (13 points and eight rebounds), Omari Johnson (13 points and six boards), Ike Nwamu (11 points and five assists), and Stephan Hicks (10 points and five rebounds) all also reached double digits. Travin Thibodeaux added nine points and 16 rebounds (six offensive boards).

Unfortunately for the Mad Ants, their seven-game skid likely spelled the end of their playoff homes. Fort Wayne is 20-24 on the season, four games back of the Grand Rapids Drive (Detroit's affiliate) for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with just six games to play.

The Mad Ants will, however, receive reinforcements this week, as the Pacers assigned rookie forward Alize Johnson and second-year guard Edmond Sumner to their G League affiliate on Monday.

Johnson and Sumner will be in uniform when the Mad Ants play at Raptors 905 (Toronto's affiliate) on Monday night at 7:30 PM ET. They will play a pair of road games at the Capital City Go-Go (Washington's affiliate) on Thursday at 7:00 PM ET and again on Saturday at 1:00 PM ET.

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The Fort Report: Mad Ants Beat Magic to Snap Skid

The Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers' G League affiliate, have dropped four straight games, including three losses in the last week. Fort Wayne is now 19-21 on the season and in third place in the Central Division, 2.5 games out of first.

The Mad Ants fell on the road to the division leaders, the Windy City Bulls (Chicago's affiliate), on Feb. 22, 119-112. The game featured dueling triple-doubles, as Mad Ants rookie Rob Gray tallied 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists, while former Mad Ant Walter Lemon Jr. racked up 21 points, 10 boards, and 13 assists for the Bulls.

Omari Johnson, who participated in Pacers training camp last fall, led Fort Wayne with 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting (5-of-10 from 3-point range). Stephan Hicks and Ike Nwamu added 19 points apiece in the loss.

The next night, the Mad Ants built a 22-point halftime lead over the Canton Charge (Cleveland's affiliate), but went cold in the second half. Canton outscored Fort Wayne 25-12 in the fourth quarter, winning at the buzzer, 100-99.

The two teams traded the lead four times in the final minute. Two-way guard Davon Reed's putback gave the Mad Ants a 99-98 lead with 11.6 seconds remaining, but Jaron Blossomgame tipped in Scoochie Smith's miss on the other end to lift the Charge to victory.

Gray and Johnson led Fort Wayne with 28 points each. Gray also tallied nine rebounds and five assists, while Johnson had seven boards and went 8-for-15 from 3-point range.

Hicks added 12 points and five rebounds, while Nwamu had 11 points and four boards. Reed had just five points on 2-of-13 shooting, but did manage to tally 10 rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

The Mad Ants and Charge met again on Tuesday night in Canton, but the result was the same, as the Charge picked up a 122-115 victory. Pacers guard Edmond Sumner joined the Mad Ants on assignment for that contest and was excellent in the loss, scoring 34 points on 13-of-23 shooting (3-of-7 from 3-point range) to go along with four rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.

Hicks added 22 points and 12 rebounds in the loss. Johnson scored 19 points, while Reed finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

The Mad Ants return to action on Friday night at the Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee's affiliate) at 8:00 PM ET. Fort Wayne will continue a four-game trip next week, with visits to the Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia's affiliate) on Monday and the Long Island Nets (Brooklyn's affiliate) on Wednesday.

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The Fort Report: Sumner Scores 34, But Mad Ants Fall

The All-Star break has come and gone for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers' G League affiliate.

In their final game before the break on Feb. 13, the Mad Ants picked up a 127-123 win over the Lakeland Magic (Orlando's affiliate) that featured one of the best individual performances in Mad Ants franchise history. Rookie guard Rob Gray exploded for 46 points in the victory, going 12-for-24 from the field, 4-for-6 from 3-point range, and 18-for-19 from the free throw line.

Gray's 46 points were the third most by an individual player ever for the Mad Ants, trailing only Tony Mitchell, who scored 49 and 47 points in a pair of games during the 2012-13 season.

Pacers rookie forward Alize Johnson also had an excellent outing, racking up 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting, 18 rebounds, and five assists. Ike Nwamu scored 18 points and Stephan Hicks added 16 in the victory.

After a week off, the Mad Ants returned to action on Wednesday night, falling on the road to the Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia's affiliate), 140-129. Gray had another strong showing in the loss, tallying 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting, seven rebounds, and eight assists.

Omari Johnson, who took part in training camp with the Pacers last fall, added 28 points while going 5-for-11 from 3-point range and pulled down eight rebounds. Nwamu finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, while Travin Thibodeaux finished with 14 points and 10 boards.

The Mad Ants are now 19-18 on the season, a half-game behind the Windy City Bulls (Chicago's affiliate) for first place in the Central Division. Fort Wayne will visit Windy City on Friday night before returning home to host the Canton Charge (Cleveland's affiliate) on Saturday.

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The Fort Report: Gray Drops 46 in Mad Ants' Win

After a three-week stint with the Pacers, rookie forward Alize Johnson rejoined the team's G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, last week. With Johnson leading the way, the Mad Ants have won two of their past three games, highlighted by their best offensive performance of the season in their most recent victory.

Johnson, a 6-9 forward out of Missouri State, averaged 22.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists over those three games while shooting 54.7 percent from the field.

He racked up 31 points on 14-of-22 shooting, 14 rebounds, and six assists in a 117-112 win over Raptors 905 (Toronto's affiliate) last Friday.

Omari Johnson — who took part in training camp with the Pacers — added 24 points and seven rebounds, while Stephan Hicks — fresh off a 10-day contract with the Pacers — recorded a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Rookie Rob Gray chipped in 21 points off the bench.

The Mad Ants fell the next evening on the second night of a back-to-back, dropping a 117-95 decision at the Grand Rapids Drive (Detroit's affiliate). Hicks and Gray led the Mad Ants with 15 points apiece in the loss.

Alize Johnson finished with 12 points and seven rebounds, but was just 4-for-14 from the field. Second-year Pacers center Ike Anigbogu, meanwhile, finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks.

Fort Wayne got back in the win column on Monday afternoon, rolling to an impressive 140-119 win at the Long Island Nets (Brooklyn's affiliate) in a rare matinee game. The Mad Ants shot 61 percent from the field and 59 percent from 3-point range in the victory as seven different players scored in double figures.

Gray had a team-high 25 points, while Alize Johnson stuffed the stat sheet with 23 points (on 11-of-17 shooting), 10 rebounds, five assists, and two steals.

Point guard Tra-Deon Hollins also had a double-double, finishing with 19 points, 10 assists, and three steals. Hicks added 18 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Anigbogu chipped in 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting and three boards.

The Mad Ants are 17-15 on the year, which — as of Wednesday morning — puts them percentage points ahead of the Windy City Bulls (Chicago's affiliate) for first place in the Central Division.

Several Mad Ants players rank among the G League leaders. Two-way guard Edmond Sumner (currently in the rotation for the Pacers) is seventh in scoring at 239 points per game. Alize Johnson is third in rebounding (13.3 per contest) and tied for 22nd in scoring average (19.7). Hollins is second in assists (8.5 per game) and third in steals (2.6 per contest).

The Mad Ants finish the week with a three-game homestand. They host the Capital City Go-Go (Washington's affiliate) on Thursday morning at 11:00 AM ET, welcome the Bulls to Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on Friday night at 7:00 PM, then host the Agua Caliente Clippers (yes, the Clippers' affiliate) on Sunday at 5:00 PM.

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The Fort Report: Johnson Continues to Shine in G League

The Fort Wayne Mad Ants split a pair of road games last week, falling to the Erie BayHawks before bouncing back with a win over the Canton Charge. As of Wednesday morning, the Pacers' G League affiliate is 15-14 on the season and owns a one-game lead for first place in the Central Division.

The Mad Ants got 68 combined points from two-way guard Edmond Sumner and rookie Rob Gray last Wednesday, but it wasn't quite enough in a 135-123 loss to the BayHawks (Atlanta's affiliate). Sumner had 33 points on 11-of-19 shooting (5-of-8 from 3-point range) and five assists, while Gray scored 35 points off the bench on 15-of-28 shooting to go along with five rebounds and four assists.

Omari Johnson, who participated in training camp with the Pacers last fall, added 19 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. Second-year Pacers center Ike Anigbogu also recorded a double-double, finishing with 10 points and 11 boards in just 22 minutes due to foul trouble.

Erie prevailed thanks to rookie guard Jaylen Adams, who racked up 40 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists.

Sumner left the Mad Ants after the game to join the Pacers after Victor Oladipo's season-ending knee injury. A subsequent back injury to Tyreke Evans thrust the second-year guard out of Xavier into the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Golden State Warriors, his first career NBA start.

The Mad Ants got back in the win column on Saturday night with a convincing 116-102 victory over the Charge (Cleveland's affiliate). Johnson and Gray led the way with 24 points apiece, with Johnson also tallying nine rebounds and four steals, while Gray contributed seven boards and six assists.

Five other Mad Ants scored in double figures, including Anigbogu, who had 12 points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes of action.

Several Mad Ants players rank among the G League leaders as of Wednesday morning. Sumner is eighth in scoring at 23.9 points per game, Anigbogu is tied for eighth in blocks (1.9 per game) and 10th in rebounding (10.0 per contest), and Tra-Deon Hollins is second in both assists (8.4 per game) and steals (2.6 per contest).

Pacers rookie Alize Johnson was assigned to the Mad Ants on Wednesday. The promising young forward is third in the G League in rebounding, averaging 13.9 rebounds over 18 games. Johnson is also averaging 19.3 points per game in the G League while shooting 52 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3-point range.

Johnson and the Mad Ants return to action on Friday night when they host Raptors 905 (Toronto's affiliate) at 7:00 PM ET. They play again on Saturday night at the Grand Rapids Drive (Detroit's affiliate) at 7:00 PM.

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The Fort Report: Mad Ants Win in Canton

The Fort Wayne Mad Ants dropped a pair of games over the weekend to fall to 14-13 on the season, but the Pacers' G League affiliate is still in first place in the Central Division as of Tuesday morning.

The Mad Ants fell on the road to the Grand Rapids Drive (the Pistons' affiliate) on Friday night, 123-105. Pacers two-way guard Edmond Sumner had 33 points in the loss, going 10-for-19 from the field, 4-for-8 from 3-point range, and 9-for-12 from the free throw line while also tallying four assists and three steals.

Rookie Rob Gray had 19 points off the bench, while Stephan Hicks — who signed a 10-day contract with the Pacers on Sunday — added 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting and seven rebounds.

The Mad Ants returned home on Saturday night, but dropped another game, this one a 107-92 decision against the Lakeland Magic (Orlando's affiliate). Sumner once again led Fort Wayne in scoring, finishing with 29 points on 10-of-25 shooting.

Hicks and Omari Johnson were the only other Mad Ants players to finish in double figures, each scoring 17 points.

As of Tuesday, Sumner is seventh in the G League in scoring at 23.4 points per game. Guard Tra-Deon Hollins is second in steals (2.5 per game) and tied for second in assists (8.2 per contest), while second-year Pacers center Ike Anigbogu is ninth in rebounding (9.9 per game) and 10th in blocks (2.0 per contest).

The Mad Ants hit the road for their next two games, playing at the Erie BayHawks (Atlanta's affiliate) on Wednesday and at the Canton Charge (Cleveland's affiliate) on Saturday.

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The Fort Report: Two Big Games for Sumner

The Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers' G League affiliate, have won three games in a row, including two over the past week.

Last Friday, the Mad Ants picked up their most dramatic victory of the season, defeating the Erie BayHawks (Atlanta's affiliate) on a buzzer beater by forward Omari Johnson.

Fort Wayne trailed 119-116 with a minute to play, but Pacers two-way guard Davon Reed's putback layup cut the deficit to one with 36.6 seconds to play. Reed then blocked former Pacers and Mad Ants forward Alex Poythress on the other end, giving the Mad Ants the ball and a chance to move back in front.

Point guard Tra-Deon Hollins drove right before dishing to Stephan Hicks on the left block. Poythress blocked Hicks' shot, but the ball bounced into the hands of Johnson, who quickly tossed it up and banked in the game-winner as the buzzer sounded.

The play capped a 20-point, 14-rebound performance from Johnson. Hicks and Rob Gray each added 22 points, while Hollins tallied 10 points, 15 assists, and six steals.

Pacers second-year center Ike Anigbogu also recorded a double-double in the victory, finishing with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 10 rebounds. Reed added 14 points, eight boards, and four assists.

The Mad Ants returned to action on Monday night, rolling to a 105-90 win over the Agua Caliente Clippers (the Clippers' affiliate) to finish off a sweep of a three-game homestand.

After traveling with the Pacers on their recent road trip, two-way guard Edmond Sumner returned to Fort Wayne and racked up 29 points on 14-of-21 shooting, five assists, and five steals in the victory.

Gray added 19 points off the bench, while both Hicks (17 points and 13 rebounds) and Travin Thibodeaux (11 points and 10 boards) recorded double-doubles.

As of Tuesday morning, the Mad Ants are 14-11 on the year and have a one-game lead in the Central Division. A number of Mad Ants players rank among the G League leaders.

Sumner is ninth in the G League in scoring at 22.3 points per game. Hollins is tied for the league lead in assists (8.3 per game) and tied for second in steals (2.4 per contest). Anigbogu is tied for the league lead in offensive rebounding (4.6 per game), eighth in total rebounding (10.6), and tied for ninth in blocks (2.0 per contest).

The Mad Ants hit the road on Friday to take on the Grand Rapids Drive (Detroit's affiliate), then return home to host the Lakeland Magic (Orlando's affiliate) on Saturday on the second night of a back-to-back. Both games are will tip at 7:00 PM ET.