After starting the season by sweeping the Reno Bighorns on the road, the Santa Cruz Warriors suffered a 102-95 loss to the Bakersfield Jam on Monday night.
NBA assignments were obviously the difference on both sides: the Warriors had neither Kent Bazemore nor Jeremy Tyler on the floor while Bakersfield was led by a trio of NBA assignees.
As Keith Schlosser of SB Nation's Ridiculous Upside wrote, Phoenix Suns rookie point guard Kendall Marshall was impressive, finishing with 21 points and 8 assists. Meanwhile, Kris Willis of SBN's Atlanta Hawks site Peachtree Hoops focused on John Jenkins with his game-high 22 points on 8-for-13 shooting but also took note of Warriors wing Travis Leslie who continued to impress.
Former University of Georgia standout Travis Leslie led Santa Cruz with 21 points and 14 boards. Bakersfield wins despite being out rebounded by a 54-38 margin. The Warriors out shot the Jam 44 percent to 41 percent but committed 30 turnovers in the game.
For more on the game, visit the Santa Cruz Warriors' website. Check out Peachtree Hoops to re-watch the entire game on YouTube. For more on the Warriors' D-League team, you can also visit our Santa Cruz Warriors section.