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Tag: Austin Spurs

Former Austin Spur playing NBA Finals

The Spurs’ season may have been over for quite a while, but former San Antonio point guard Derrick White is preparing for the biggest series of his basketball life.

The current Boston Celtics reserve guard was traded from San Antonio in February for a package of players and picks. While White’s offensive stats have been nothing special during his time with the Celtics, his perimeter defense has strengthened Boston — and will no doubt be of the utmost importance as his team tries to contend with guards Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole and small forward Klay Thompson in the NBA Finals.

White’s journey to the biggest stage in the NBA was an improbable one. Born in Parker, Colorado — a suburb of Denver — White signed with the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS) out of high school as a 6-foot combo guard. Everything changed when he shot up five inches by the time he reached the NCAA Division II school, and he set new program records for most points and assists in a career during his three seasons with UCCS.

White then transferred to the main campus in Boulder and enjoyed a stellar 2016-17 campaign with the Pac 12’s Buffaloes that included first team all-conference honors.

The Spurs, as they’ve done numerous times over the years, identified White’s potential and targeted him with the 29th overall selection of the 2017 NBA Draft. He immediately went to the G League, where he played for the Austin Spurs and quickly earned a reputation as a cool customer and a lethal 3-point shooter.

White saw some time with San Antonio during his rookie year, but was used sparingly as he made the transition to the NBA game. He was expected to be utilized in a reserve role in his second season, but once again an unforeseen circumstance thrust him into the spotlight from relative obscurity.

This time, White’s big break came in the form of a season-ending injury to another fledgling star — Dejounte Murray. When the point guard tore his ACL in the preseason leading up to the 2018-19 season, many Spurs fans wondered aloud who would be able to replace his defensive prowess in addition to running the offense smoothly from the point guard spot.

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

White was tabbed as the replacement, but his own foot injury sidelined him until November of 2018 against the Miami Heat. Once he entered the lineup, San Antonio’s perimeter defense was noticeably better, while its offense ran more efficiently than before.

White suffered an injury to his other foot in February of 2019, and some pundits wondered if it would derail the Spurs’ playoff hopes. White answered by leading the Spurs into a matchup with his hometown Denver Nuggets, although San Antonio fell in seven games.

White never again found that same rhythm with the Spurs, and general manager Brian Wright swapped him for Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford and a first-round pick in this year’s draft in mid-February. 

The move paid instant dividends for Boston, as White’s defense and ability to draw offensive fouls made the Celtics an even more difficult team to score against. Now, the kid from Colorado will look to help one of the NBA’s most storied dynasties capture title No. 18 against a revamped Golden State squad led by former Spur Steve Kerr. 

Austin Spurs fall to the Santa Cruz Warriors

ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 28, 2021) – The Austin Spurs fell to the Santa Cruz Warriors by a final score 109-104 on Sunday.

Cam Reynolds put up a team-high 20 points for Austin. Anthony Mathis contributed 19 points and 4 rebounds for the Spurs, and Khyri Thomas finished with 18 points and 5 rebounds.

Sacramento Kings flex assignee Robert Woodard II posted a double-double for Austin with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Santa Cruz was led by Nico Mannion, who had 27 points. Nate Hinton recorded a double-double for the Warriors with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

The 2021 Austin Spurs season is presented by SWBC.

NEXT UP

The Spurs will take on the Long Island Nets on Tuesday, March 2 at 2 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Southwest, and fans can stream the game via FOX Sports GO or ESPN+.

AUSTIN SPURS DEFEAT RGV VIPERS

AUSTIN SPURS DEFEAT RIO GRANDE VALLEY VIPERS 114-97

AUSTIN, Texas (November 13, 2018) – The Austin Spurs (2-2), presented by SWBC, defeated the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2-2), 114-97, at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park Tuesday morning.

‪Jaron Blossomgame (10-17 FG, 6-6 FT) and Jeff Ledbetter (8-15 FG, 6-11 3FG, 4-4 FT) paced the Spurs with 26 points apiece. Drew Eubanks contributed 22 points (8-10 FG, 6-6 FT), five rebounds, and five blocks in 30 minutes. Julian Washburn earned his first double-double of the season with 19 points (8-15 FG, 3-7 3FG) and 12 rebounds in 38 minutes.

Austin jumped out to an 11-2 lead and used a strong second quarter to take a 67-59 Spurs advantage into halftime. The Spurs limited the Vipers to 38 second-half points on .341 shooting from the field, including 0-14 from three-point range.

For the game the Spurs shot a season-best .583 (42-72) from the field, .455 (10-22) from beyond the arc and a perfect 20-20 from the foul line.

‪Angel Rodriguez poured in 24 points (11-18 FG, 2-4 3FG) and snagged four steals for the Vipers. Zhou Qi contributed a double-double with 16 points (7-14 FG) and 10 rebounds.

‪The two teams will meet again on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. as the Spurs travel to Edinburg in the second game of a home and home set. For tickets, broadcasts, or the full season schedule, visit www.austinspurs.com.