RealGM’s Player of the Week: Darius Morris (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)

Morris had an absolutely absurd week to kick off the D-League playoffs. He started with 29 points (11-18 FG, 3-4 3FG), 11 assists, and five rebounds as Rio Grande Valley topped Iowa, 146-135. Morris was even more sensational in the following game with 51 points (17-26 FG, 7-10 3FG) and 18 assists on Saturday, although the Vipers fell 145-142. After spending time with the Clippers, 76ers, and Grizzlies this season, Morris couldn’t find a permanent home and has spent the past month dominating the D-League. The 6-foot-4 point guard out of Michigan was a second round pick in 2011 and should land on an NBA roster next season. He’s still only 23 years old and will have a chance to prove himself over the offseason in the Summer League. Until then, he’ll look to have another big game on Monday to help the Vipers advance past the first round.

Game of the Week: Fort Wayne Mad Ants 97, Reno Bighorns 96

In a tight, back-and-forth contest, the game fittingly entered the fourth quarter with a tied score. Reno opened the quarter on an 11-0 run but slowly watched its lead slip away in the closing minutes. Fort Wayne grabbed a rebound and called timeout with 13 seconds left, trailing 96-95. Tim Ohlbrect’s put back on a missed lay-up with 5.3 seconds left ultimately made the difference as Fort Wayne took a 1-0 lead in the series. After the Mad Ants won again on Sunday, they’ve advanced past the first round of the D-League playoffs.

Matt Bouldin led Fort Wayne on Friday with 20 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Ron Howard added 19 points while Tony Mitchell chipped in 17. Sadiel Rojas had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Reno received a game-high 22 points from Mo Charlo. K.C. Rivers contributed 19 points and Willie Reed added 15 points and nine rebounds.

Five Stars

Patrick Christopher (Iowa Energy): Last week’s Player of the Week stringed together a pair of quality performances for the Energy. Christopher averaged 33 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 57 percent from the field and 47 percent from three. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Cal has made a statement to end the D-League season and has a chance to keep it going if the Energy top the Vipers on Monday.

Seth Curry (Santa Cruz Warriors): Curry had 44 points and seven assists while shooting 15-of-20 from the field and 9-of-14 from deep on Thursday. He went on to score 23 points (7-16 FG, 4-9 3FG), dish three assists, and grab three rebounds to help the Warriors advance into the semi-finals. The 6-foot-2 point guard from Duke played with the Cavaliers and Grizzlies this season but has only played a combined 13 minutes in the NBA. With his improvement as a steady pick-and-roll point guard, Curry should be a prospect to keep an eye on.

Troy Daniels (Rio Grande Valley Vipers): On contract with the Houston Rockets, Daniels split time between the Vipers and the big-league club this week. He averaged 28 points this past week while shooting 32 percent from the field and 33 percent from behind the arc. It wasn’t his most efficient shooting display, but Daniels is a three-point specialist who also made a contribution for the Rockets on Wednesday. He scored 12 points in 11 minutes against the Nuggets while shooting 4-of-6 from three. Daniels is on a two-year deal with Houston and could see extended time for the big league club next season.

Cameron Jones (Santa Cruz Warriors): Jones has always been a rock-solid contributor for Santa Cruz and made a major impact this past week. He averaged 31.5 points, six rebounds, and three assists per game while shooting 52 percent from the floor and 50 percent (4-8) from behind the arc. The crafty, 6-foot-4 shooting guard is a savvy player with a good feel for the game.

Ognjen Kuzmic (Santa Cruz Warriors): The Golden State assignee recorded a pair of double-doubles this week for Santa Cruz. Kuzmic averaged 19 points and 14 rebounds per game while shooting an extremely efficient 76 percent from the field. The 7-footer has been a monster in the rebounding department and showed why he’s on contract with the major league club.

Call Ups

Othyus Jeffers (Iowa Energy): The scrappy, 6-foot-5 wing signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the remainder of the season after averaging 20.9 points and 9.9 rebounds per game with the Energy. He spent four games with the San Antonio Spurs earlier this year, even starting in one game, as they looked to reload an injury filled lineup. Now in Minnesota, Jeffers has played 13 minutes in three games, missing his only shot attempt while grabbing three rebounds. He’s a defensive-minded glue guy who was key for the Energy this season.

Grant Jerrett (Tulsa 66ers): Jerrett was a second round pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder this past season but played exclusively in the D-League. The 6-foot-10 power forward averaged 15.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in Tulsa and received his first contract with the big league club this week. He has yet to see the floor in Oklahoma City but the 20-year-old was seen as a long-term prospect since the draft. Jerrett showed good potential this season as a stretch four-man.

Dexter Pittman (Austin Toros): After the Houston Rockets waived Greg Smith because of a season-ending knee injury, Pittman earned his second NBA call-up of the season. The 6-foot-11, 285 pound center was averaging 11.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in Austin but has not seen the floor for the Rockets. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reported that Pittman will be released after signing on Friday.

James Southerland (Los Angeles D-Fenders): Southerland signed a contract with the New Orleans Pelicans for the rest of the season and has shown promise in two NBA games. He scored 10 points (4-7 FG, 2-3 3FG) and grabbed three rebounds in only 10 minutes of action on Friday and followed with three points (1-3 FG, 1-1 3FG) and four rebounds in an additional 10 minutes on Saturday. The 6-foot-8 forward from Syracuse was averaging 14.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in the D-League but seems to be raising eyebrows at the NBA level.

Adonis Thomas (Springfield Armor): The Philadelphia 76ers signed the 6-foot-6 rookie shooting guard from Memphis who was averaging 17 points per game while shooting 47 percent from three in Springfield. Thomas has played eight minutes for the 76ers, scoring four points on 2-of-3 shooting. He has a prototypical body for the shooting guard position with plenty of athleticism. Thomas will be a name to remember this summer.

And One: After Sunday’s set of games, Santa Cruz and Fort Wayne were the only two teams to punch their tickets into the semi-finals. The Rio Grande Valley-Iowa and Canton-Sioux Falls series will require a deciding third game on Monday at 8:00 PM EST. Fort Wayne still looks to be the favorite while Santa Cruz pulled a first-round upset.