Lightning flies high in first season
Murray, Sufi are IBL leaders; Givens notches 57 in finale
Success came in thunderous waves for the Los Angeles Lightning in its inaugural season in the high-scoring International Basketball League.
L.A., owned by television and movie executive Mark Harwell, featured four ex-NBA players at various stages. They won nine of their last 14 games after starting the year 0-6. Lamond Murray, a former first-round pick of the L.A. Clippers, ranked first in IBL rebounding (11.6) and fourth in scoring (26.6) while point guard Kamran Sufi was No. 1 in assists at 12.6 per game.
"After the slow start, we had a pretty good year," said Lightning coach Ron Quarterman. "When we had all our players, we were tough to beat."
Sufi, the all-time assist and steal leader at St. Mary's College, dished out 21 assists in his Lightning debut on June 17, helping L.A. whip the Holland (Mich.) Blast 146-121. The Lightning (9-11) won seven of its last eight home games on its home court in Thousand Oaks at Cal Lutheran's new 1,500-seat Gilbert Sports Arena.
Phil Givens, a slashing left-hander, erupted for 57 points in the final home game, a 140-124 victory over the Arizona Flame on June 21. Givens scored 21 in the first quarter and 27 in the third. He missed the IBL single-game high for the season by one point.
"This is a league of scoring and it's a good league," said Quarterman.
Murray, a sharpshooting 6-7 forward, eclipsed the 30-point mark four times with a high of 37 in a win at the Las Vegas Stars that moved the Lightning into first place in the Southwest Division on June 6.
Toby Bailey, a former UCLA star who played with the Phoenix Suns, was the second-leading scorer at 24.3. Ronell Mingo, a 6-9 center, nearly averaged a double-double (20.2 ppg, 9.5 rpg) and Billy Knight was a consistent threat from inside and out, averaging 18.1 points with a team-high 48.9 percent from the 3-point line.
Knight, a former UCLA standout, won the IBL 3-point Shootout during the All-Star game on June 12 in Gary, Ind.
The other ex-NBA players on the Lightning roster were Fred Vinson, the shooting coach of the L.A. Clippers who poured in an IBL-record 15 treys in a 2007 game, and 7-foot-3 Keith Closs, who played three seasons for the Clippers. Closs, who joined the Lightning on its brutal four games in five nights Midwestern road trip, averaged 12 points (on 62.5 percent shooting), 9.0 rebounds and six blocks.
When asked about highlights, Quarterman cited Sufi's 21 assists (in 29 minutes), the consistent play of Murray and Vinson and the improved play of Greg Minor and Wayne Oliver throughout the year. Oliver, a 6-7 forward, averaged 11 points and 5.7 rebounds while Minor, a 6-2 guard, averaged 9.3 points and led the team in free-throw percentage at 87.0.
Minor, who hadn't played pro ball in two years, averaged 16 points on 52.6 shooting from downtown in his final five games.
"Having been out the loop for a few years, I started getting in game shape around the eighth game," Minor said. "The trip to the Midwest was cool -- grueling but fun. The meals and hotels and everything were very good. Mark was a first-class owner and coach let us play our game. I would definitely return next season."
Harwell is looking forward to bigger and better things in 2009.
"I thought this year was a good foundation," he said. "During your first year, you have a lot of struggles and that builds character. We came into this new community and we're learning the lay of the land. I've been very grateful for the support and look forward to a much bigger year next year."
