Apr 15, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Vander Blue (12) dribbles against Sacramento Kings guard Nik Stauskas (10) in the first half during the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

The Lakers D-League team, the D-Fenders, is beginning to showcase players with impressive potential

The last two times the D-Fenders (11-12) took on the Austin Spurs (15-7) they added two games to the loss column, something similar to what the Lakers have been experiencing this season. One of the games was played with a couple of the Lakers bench players, the other was not, but the result was the same.

The tide would turn on Saturday without Robert Upshaw and no Lakers players on the bench as the D-Fenders beat the No. 2 overall D-League Spurs 110-96. The Spurs came into the game with a 15-6 record, the second best out of 19 D-League teams but the D-Fenders pulled away in the second half and never looked back.

Both teams were coming off wins, so there was confidence in the air. The D-Fenders had just beaten the Bakersfield Jam in Bakersfield, 105-100, and guard Vander Blue had come off of a triple-double scoring a game-high 40 points, adding 10 rebounds, 10 assists, seven steals and one block.

Blue’s performance in the first half of this third game against the Austin Spurs was incredible. It seemed he couldn’t miss. In the second half, he shot crucial free-throws to keep the D-Fenders in the lead making 10-of-12.

Blue scored a team-high 27 points and added six rebounds, three assists, and three steals. His second half defense was commendable, as he and the Spurs Orlando Johnson went at it all night.

The star of the game, however, was guard Josh Magette, who ended the game with an impressive triple-double scoring 13 points, dishing 15 assists and grabbing 10 rebounds. Magette eeked out his tenth rebound with only 28.8 seconds left in the game.

Magette (pronounced Mah-Jett) played professionally in Greece before coming to the D-Fenders and was guarded mostly by former Houston Rockets guard Nick Johnson.



So far in the season, Magette holds D-League rankings; he is tied for league game-high assists (15) with Sioux Falls (Skyforce) DeAndre Liggins and steals (7) with fellow D-Fender Vander Blue. He also tops the league in average assists (8.2) and steals (2.7) per game.

Magette’s highlights:



Out of the eight D-Fenders who played, six scored in double figures. Honorable mentions go to guard Andre Ingram and forward Justin Hawkins, who both scored 21 points Saturday night. Ingram hit 7-of-10 3-pointers, for a staggering 70 percent. He was on fire!

One thing’s for sure; the Spurs love to travel while playing, and I am not talking about trains, planes, and automobiles.

Traveling violations were so prevalent on the Spurs team, especially with their two seven-footers, 7’3 260-pound center Walter Tavares and 7′ 250-pound center Youssou Ndoye that at one point that after a Tavares travel, the entire D-Fenders bench plus all the coaches yelled out in unison, “TRAVELLING!”

The Spurs shot 75 percent from the field in the first quarter and came out swinging but their height and speed did not overwhelm the D-Fenders in the end, as they pulled out a win at home in Los Angeles.

The D-Fenders are still in second place behind the 13-9 Reno Bighorns in the Pacific Division. They take on the Idaho Stampede at home at the Toyota Sports Center on Monday, January 18, 2016, 8:00 pm PT.