Charge Hold Off Nets to Keep Their Playoff Hopes Alive

Photo courtesy of Charles Murray

CLEVELAND, OH – The Cleveland Charge are coming off an important comeback win Friday night against the number one seed Long Island Nets. The Charge entered the contest sitting just 0.5 games behind the 6th seed for the final playoff spot. With just 3 games remaining in the season, the Charge needed another big win in front of their hometown fans. Long Island was looking to play spoilers and maintain their number one seed in the standings.

Early Buckets

Early in the first quarter there was not a lot that was stopping either offense. Jordan Bowden got off to a fast start for the Long Island Nets. He scored 8 points within the first 6 minutes of the game that included two 3-pointers. The Charge were sharing the ball early and got multiple players involved. Neither team was able to take much of a lead in the opening quarter. The game was all tied up at 28 after 1 with Isaiah Mobley leading the way with 6 points.

Flipping the Script

The second quarter started much differently than the first. Both teams were struggling to get their shots to fall most of the second quarter. The score with just under 5 minutes to go was 40-38 Charge. Cleveland kicked into gear for the rest of the quarter. Sam Merrill came up big with 3 3-pointers. Isaiah Mobley had a great second quarter putting up 13 points and 7 rebounds. This pushed his game totals to 19 points and 9 rebounds to lead the way for the Charge. David Duke Jr led the way for the Nets with 15 points. Heading into the break, the Charge led 60-49.

Nets Takeover

The Long Island Nets were being led by Jordan Bowden early in the 3rd quarter. Bowden scored the first 10 points of the quarter for the Nets. The Charge struggled to hold the Nets off the offensive glass throughout the 3rd quarter. With just under 4 minutes to play in the quarter, the Nets took a 71-70 lead. It was back-and-forth the rest of the 3rd. Heading into the final quarter, the Charge and Nets were tied up at 79. 

Charge Close Out the Nets

After not scoring in the 3^rd quarter, Isaiah Mobley got started early in the fourth quarter knocking down his first 2 shots. However, after celebrating a 3-pointer, he received a technical foul and was ejected due to him picking up one earlier in the game as well. The Charge did not let that shift momentum in the Nets’ favor. Down the stretch, Dylan Windler made big plays. He found Mamadi Diakite for an and-1, then hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Charge a 105-97 lead. Windler’s 2^nd 3 would be the dagger as the Charge would hang on to win 108-100.

Key Players

Cleveland Charge:

Isaiah Mobley: 24 points, 10 rebounds

Sam Merrill: 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 3-pointers

Dylan Windler: 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 3-pointers

Long Island Nets:

David Duke Jr.: 27 points, 5 rebounds

Jordan Bowden: 26 points, 5 rebounds

Next Game 

The Charge will host the Grand Rapids Gold on Thursday night for their final home game of the season. The game is scheduled for a 7PM tipoff that you can watch on ESPN+ or listen to NEO Sports Radio on the iHeartRadio app.