Skyforce Face 66ers in Opening Round

April 6, 2010

The Sioux Falls Skyforce have made it to the postseason as the fourth seed overall in the NBA D-League. In their way stands the Tulsa 66ers, who hold the eighth and final seed in the entire league. While the Skyforce hold home court advantage, the series will begin in Tulsa on April 8th at 12:30 PM. The following game will take place in Sioux Falls on April 9th at 7:00 PM. And if necessary, the third game of the series will stay in Sioux Falls for a 6:00 PM tipoff on April 11th.

Fortunately for the Skyforce, they enter the playoffs will a full head of steam and momentum on their side. Having won five games in a row and holding a home record of 20-5, there is plenty going in their favor. Beyond that, former Miami Heat Forward Alexander Johnson has taken the leadership role and gained league-wide recognition for his performance with the Skyforce. Just last month, Johnson received the NBA Development League Player of the Month award. His March statistics proved impressive as he averaged 24.5 points, 10.9 rebounds and 60% shooting percentage in 11 games. Johnson is clearly a forced to be reckoned with.

The Skyforce are 2-3 against the 66ers, but the playoffs bring a new level of intensity and urgency that surpasses anything felt in those regular season match-ups. All five regular season games were played in the month of January, when the Skyforce were struggling with a 5-9 record for the month. Over two months later, the tides have clearly shifted and these two teams are in a different phase of their seasons. It will be interesting to see what the playoffs will bring out in these two teams.