HERD SUFFERS LOSS TO NETS

Stephen Thompson Jr. Becomes Wisconsin Herd All-Time Leading Scorer

The Wisconsin Herd, NBA G League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks, lost to the Long Island Nets 121-112.

Stephen Thompson Jr. powered the Herd with a double-double of 32 points and 11 assists while Kobe Stewart and Cormac Ryan followed with 19 points apiece.

The top scorers for the Long Island Nets were Malachi Smith with 36 points and Nate Williams with 19 points.

Wisconsin opened with a 6-0 burst, capped by Kobe Stewart’s fast-break finish. Stephen Thompson Jr. followed with a shot beyond the arc to become the Herd's All-Time Leading Scorer.  At the seven-minute mark, Long Island briefly grabbed an 11-10 lead on a layup, but Stephen Thompson Jr. answered with a transition three to make it 13-20. Jamal Bieniemy drilled a corner three for a 23-15 Herd advantage. Stephen Thompson Jr. closed the quarter with a deep triple and two free throws in the final 30 seconds for a 32-23 lead.

Long Island roared back with a 13-2 run to start the second quarter and grab a 33-32 lead. The teams traded buckets, but the Herd fought back to tie the game 40-40 behind Kobe Stewart’s reverse layup. The Nets responded with relentless drives to push ahead. At the one-minute mark, Pete Nance’s layup cut it to a one-point game, but Long Island answered with a floater and free throw to close the half up 62-57.

Kobe Stewart opened the third quarter with a deep three. The Herd continued to trim the deficit, and a Pete Nance dunk at the four-minute mark made it a three-point game. Long Island pulled away by seven points, but Stephen Thompson Jr. buried a triple and two free throws to pull within two. A last-second tip dunk by Chaney Johnson gave Long Island an 85-81 edge heading into the fourth.

Cormac Ryan sparked the Herd with a jumper to open the final quarter, but Long Island answered with a 10-2 run capped by a three to pull ahead 97-87. Wisconsin kept fighting with Stephen Thompson Jr. drilling back-to-back threes to cut it to 114-106 with a minute left. However, the Nets closed strong at the line, hitting 5-of-6 free throws in the final two minutes to secure the win.

The Herd will continue their road trip and play the Grand Rapids Gold on Sunday, Jan. 11, with tip-off set for 2:00 p.m. CST. Fans can watch the game on The Spot – Green Bay 32 and NBAGLeague.com.

--Wisconsin Herd--