Indiana Mad Ants drop G League Showcase Cup title game for second-place finish

The Mad Ants currently have the best record in the G League

The Indiana Pacers G League affiliate team, the Indiana Mad Ants, saw their run towards the G League Showcase Cup title come to an end on Friday night. They lost in the championship game of the event to the Westchester Knicks.

The final score was 107-99. The Mad Ants were ahead by nine points heading into halftime, but a miserable third quarter in which they only scored 17 points yet conceded 33 turned the game. Suddenly, the Knicks had all the momentum, and they rode it to victory.

It's a heartbreaking end to a wonderful run for Indiana. They entered the title game on a 14-game winning streak — their only loss during their first 16 games of their season was in the team's home opener in Indianapolis. They were up by 10 in the fourth quarter that night but gave away the lead. The Mad Ants have been tremendous so far this campaign

But with the trophy — and $100,000 — on the line, the Pacers G League partners came up just short. Their impressive run, which was guided by a high-powered offense, came to an end.

"Us as a team, I feel like we get the ball moving," Mad Ants two-way contract guard Isaiah Wong said of the team earlier this season.

The Mad Ants reached the championship game after beating the Capital City Go-Go in the quarterfinals and the College Park Skyhawks in the semis. Their game against the Skyhawks had an epic finish, with Indiana's offense being too much.

Mad Ants survive in the Showcase Cup Semifinals and move on to the title game, where they will play the Westchester Knicks. Mad Ants blew a huge lead late but were able to get it done in OT.

The winning bucket: a Kendall Brown dunk on a nice pass from Elfrid Payton. pic.twitter.com/uHyymBgNOc

— Tony East (@TonyREast) December 21, 2023

The Mad Ants will kick off their 34-game regular season on Wednesday. They reached the playoffs last year under head coach Tom Hankins.

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• James Johnson back with Indiana Pacers to provide wisdom and toughness. CLICK HERE.
• The Pacers can't just hope to outscore teams and win — their defense must get better. CLICK HERE.
• Pacers guard Isaiah Wong developing his point guard skills in the G League. CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers drop game in Memphis during Ja Morant's home return for Grizzlies. CLICK HERE.
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