Murray, Russell spark Lightning to 7-2 start
Former NBA stars help L.A. win six straight
It hasn't taken long for the Los Angeles Lightning to rise to elite status in the International Basketball League. The second-year pro basketball squad is off to a 7-2 start behind the play of a quartet of former NBA players.
Lamond Murray, who enjoyed a 12-year NBA career after being picked No. 7 in the 1994 NBA draft by the L.A. Clippers, leads the team with a 24.8 average. The sixth-leading scorer in the IBL had a high of 34 points on 8-11 shooting from 3-point range in the second game of the year.
Fred Vinson, the IBL 3-point record holder with 15 in a game, is averaging 15.9 points, followed by former Utah Jazz standout Bryon Russell (15.7), center Ronell Mingo (12.3) and ex-Houston Rocket Juaquin Hawkins (12.3).
Russell, a 6-7 forward who used to guard Michael Jordan, is averaging 26 in his last three games. Vinson, who's making 48.1 percent of his 3-pointers, is an assistant coach with the L.A. Clippers. Hawkins hit 11-14 from the field in his last game and scored a season-high 25 points.
Kamran Sufi, a 5-9 guard, has the third-best assist average in the IBL (11.9) and is pulling down nearly six rebounds a game. Russell is the team's top rebounder at 6.8.
After splitting their first two games, the Lightning won their next six by an average of 17 points before being edged by the Seattle Mountaineers 115-113 on May 24.
Tony Strickland, a California State Senator from Thousand Oaks, has revived his basketball career after two decades. Strickland, a 6-5 forward who once scored 47 points for Whittier College, has appeared in seven games for L.A. and leads the team in shooting at .769 (10-13).
"It's been a fantastic year so far," said Lightning owner and general manager Mark Harwell, who expects to welcome back ex-UCLA and NBA player Toby Bailey in the near future along with more former NBA players. "The guys are playing great and having fun at the same time."
The atmosphere at Lightning home games in the 1,500-seat Gilbert Sports Arena at Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks has also been exciting with a Tony-award winner singing the national anthem on opening night and The Stunners, a female pop group, performing at halftime.
After the games, Lightning players stick around to sign autographs for fans of all ages.
The IBL is a high-scoring league of 16 teams from the U.S., Canada, Japan and China that features a 22-second shot clock, immediate inbound passes and only one timeout per quarter.
The Lightning will take on the Phoenix Red Rock Raptors on Saturday (7 p.m.) and Sunday (5:30 p.m.) at the Gilbert Sports Arena. They'll also be at Cal Lutheran for home games on May 30-31, June 13-14, June 20-21 and June 27-28.
Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000. For more information, visit the team's web site at lalightning.net.
