The Jacksonville Giants played the Chicago Fury, a traveling ABA team, Saturday evening at the North Florida University Arena.
The Giants, noted for their fast starts, led at the end of the first quarter, 49-14. Matt Fields scored 11 points for Jacksonville in the quarter. Seven foot center Jermaine Bell had five blocked shots.
At the half it was Jacksonville 86, Chicago 54. Bell had 15 points at half time. Playing his first game for the Giants, Tim Ware, had 13 points.
Leading scorers for Chicago at half time:Maurice Carter scored 17, Grant Smith scored 14, and 6'-10" center Leon Smith scored 11.
Jacksonville led after three quarters 126-76. Final score Jacksonville Giants 154, Chicago Fury 109.
Recording a triple double, Bell scored 24 points, blocked 11 shots, and grabbed 12 rebounds. Scoring 22 points were Ware and Currye Todd.
Leading scorer for Chicago was Jerrod Tucker with 23 points. Maurice Carter scored 22 points.
After the game I met with Chicago Fury's Head Coach, Danny Little. Coach Little described the setting as a "Big Venue." We need to play hard and at the beginning of the game and we did not play hard. I do not know the shooting statistics, but Jacksonville shot well and made most of their shots. Chicago has a seven foot center who did not make the trip. I wished Coach Little good luck as his team travels to Myrtle Beach, S. C. to play the number ranked team in the ABA, the South Carolina Warriors.
Leon Smith played high school basketball at Martin Luther King High School in Chicago. In the 1999 NBA draft he was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs 1st round(29th pick, 29th overall), then traded to the Dallas Mavericks.
Picture courtesy of Jodi Arnold.
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