WINDY CITY FALLS 114-113 IN DOUBLE OVERTIME TO THE LONG ISLAND NETS

[caption id="attachment_2609" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Photo by John Alexander/WCB Team Photographer[/caption]

HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL – The Windy City Bulls, presented by BMO Harris Bank, the NBA G League affiliate of the Chicago Bulls, fell in double overtime, 114-113 to the Long Island Nets Wednesday Night at Sears Centre Arena.

Windy City had four double-figure scorers led by Antonio Blakeney who poured in a game-high 38 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Ryan Arcidiacono scored a career-high 25 points and added seven assists, while Jaylen Johnson registered his fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.

Wednesday’s game was nip-and-tuck as both teams were within seven points of each other all night. Windy City struggled out of the gate, shooting 33 percent from the floor in the first quarter. Blakeney and Derick Newton combined for 18 points and four three-point shots in the opening period. The Bulls fell behind 16-9, but used an 11-4 run to take the four-point lead with two minutes remaining. Long Island, however, would close the stanza scoring seven of the final nine points to lead 27-26 at the end of the first.

Isaiah Whitehead, on assignment from the Brooklyn Nets, scored a team-best 26 points and added seven rebounds and five assists. Milton Doyle, who signed a two-way contract on December 18, tallied 23 points and eight rebounds, while Thomas Wimbush scored 16 off the bench.

The offense showed up in the second as both teams shot above 60 percent from the floor. Windy City grabbed their largest lead of the night at 39-35, but Long Island responded with a 23-12 run to lead by seven with under four minutes to play in the half. Both teams traded baskets to end the half, but the Nets lead by one possession at halftime, 64-62.

The third quarter mirrored the first, with both teams failing to score 20 points in the quarter. The two teams combined to shoot 28 percent from the floor, 11 percent from three, while turning the ball over 11 times. The 17-points scored by Windy City was their lowest third-quarter output of the season but the Bulls managed to outscore Long Island by one to make it a one-point game heading into the fourth quarter.

Antonio Blakeney took control in the final quarter of regulation as he scored seven points in the opening four minutes and 14 of the team’s 23 fourth-quarter points. The period featured three lead changes and six ties. Trailing by one with under a minute to play, Jaylen Johnson went 1-for-2 at the charity stripe to tie the game at 102 and neither team could convert another basket, forcing overtime.

Each team scored six points in the first overtime, with Windy City making its hay at the free throw line. The Bulls tied the game at 108 on a Blakeney driving layup with three seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Whitehead missed a three-point shot to send the game into the second overtime.

In the second overtime, Antonio Blakeney made two free throws to give the Bulls a one-point lead with 1.7 seconds on the clock. After a reset timeout by Long Island, Milton Doyle scored two of his 23 points on a floating jump shot to beat the buzzer and give the Nets their 12th win of the season. The loss marks the second buzzer-beating loss for the Bulls in the past seven days.

Windy City is back in action Friday as they hit the road to take on the Greensboro Swarm. Tip-off is at 6:00 p.m. CT at The Fieldhouse.

Fans can stay up-to-date on team news by following the team on Twitter (@WindyCityBulls) or visiting (WindyCityBulls.com). Full season membership, group, and single tickets for the 2017-18 Windy City Bulls season are on sale now. For all ticket information and full season schedule, visit WindyCityBulls.com.