Although Estonian basketball player Henri Drell put in a strong individual performance in his team Rip City Remix's recent NBA G-League preseason clash against Santa Cruz Warriors, it was not quite enough to right the wrong of a narrow, 112-109 defeat.
The NBA G-League is the second-tier of pro basketball after the more well-known NBA proper; as such the Remix are the affiliate team of the Oregon-based Portland Trail Blazers, Santa Cruz have the same relationship to the Golden State Warriors.
Playing at center, Drell, formerly of the Chicago Bulls/Windy City Bulls, scored seven points and posted ten rebounds, four blocks, and three assists throughout the game, all in the first half.
Despite leading by 10 points early on and holding a 57-47 advantage by halftime, Rip City couldn't maintain their momentum, as Santa Cruz made a second-half surge.
Rip City responded with a strong run to close things up, but ultimately fell short in a tight final quarter.
The loss marks their ninth defeat in the preseason, leaving them in last place in the Western Division preseason standings.
Rip City will next face, twice, the Stockton Kings, the G-League's counterpart to the Sacramento Kings, this weekend, ahead of the NBA G-League regular season, which starts after the Christmas break.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Kristjan Kallaste