Ignite Drops Home Contest To Stars, 120-108
-- Lofton Jr. and the Stars Spoil Pate’s Big Night –
Official Release /March 23, 2024
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| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | SCORE | POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS |
| SALT LAKE CITY STARS | 30 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 120 | Kenneth Lofton Jr. 52 | Kenneth Lofton Jr. 16 | Isaiah Miller 7 |
| G LEAGUE IGNITE | 30 | 19 | 34 | 25 | 108 | Dink Pate 23 | Izan Almansa 11 | Dink Pate 11 |
HENDERSON, Nev., March 22, 2024 – NBA G League Ignite (2-29) fell to the Salt Lake City Stars (17-13), 120-108, on Friday night at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev.
Dink Pate led the way for Ignite with a final stat line of 23 points (career-high), 11 rebounds (tied career-high) and six rebounds on 9-of-16 shots from the field, including 3-of-6 from behind the arc. Matas Buzelis followed with 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks, while Gabe York posted 17 points, four rebounds and four assists. London Johnson added 12 points, five assists and four rebounds.
The Stars were paced by Kenneth Lofton Jr., who recorded a double-double of 52 points and 16 rebounds on 20-of-29 shooting from the field. Keshawn Justice recorded 20 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Darius Bazley finished with 15 points, four assists, three rebounds and two blocks.
In a tightly contested matchup throughout the first half, the score was knotted up (45-45) with 3:17 remaining in the half. The Stars went on to take a nine-point lead at the halfway mark after ending the first half on a 13-4 run. Kenneth Lofton Jr. found his rhythm early en route to scoring 28 of his 52 points through two quarters while grabbing nine boards to help the Stars edge out the early advantage. Lofton Jr. continued to carry the load as the Stars maintained its lead through the second half and took a 13-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Ignite responded with a 10-3 run to cut its deficit by six points with 5:13 remaining in regulation. The Stars managed to fend off Ignite down to stretch with timely buckets to seal the victory.
NEXT UP
The two teams will meet again on Saturday, March 23, to close out the back-to-back series at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev., tipping off at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET. Coverage will be available on Tubi.
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