Basketball

Nader powers Maine past Fort Wayne, Niang and into East Finals

Abdel Nader drives into the lane in the D-League playoffs. (Courtesy: dleague.nba.com)

Former Cyclone Abdel Nader scored 26 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished eight assists to lead the Maine Red Claws to a 124-119 win over Fort Wayne on Wednesday and clinch the first round series in the D-League playoffs.

Nader, who is rated as the No. 2 prospect in the D-League by DLeague.com, shot 8-of-19 from the field and 9-of-11 from the free throw line. Georges Niang, Iowa State’s second all-time leading scorer, scored 17 points, dished seven assists and grabbed five rebounds in the losing effort for Fort Wayne.

One of the plays of the game was this Abdel Nader dunk over the head of Niang.

Maine will take on Raptors 905 in the East Finals starting on Sunday. The first two games of the series will be broadcast on ESPNU.

Jared Stansbury

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Jared a native of Clarinda, Iowa, started as the Cyclone Fanatic intern in August 2013, primarily working as a videographer until starting on the women’s basketball beat prior to the 2014-15 season. Upon earning his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Iowa State in May 2016, Jared was hired as the site’s full-time staff writer, taking over as the primary day-to-day reporter on football and men’s basketball. He was elevated to the position of managing editor in January 2020. He is a regular contributor on 1460 KXNO in Des Moines and makes regular guest appearances on radio stations across the Midwest. Jared resides in Ankeny with his four-year-old puggle, Lolo.

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