Man-Man Scorches Stars and Sets Franchise Record for Most Points in a Game

The Sioux Falls Skyforce has played over 1,700 games in 35 seasons of basketball. Hundreds of players have donned either the blue, teal, or red jerseys.

Records have been broken for an organization rich in history.

Something special and never done before happened on Sunday afternoon at the Sanford Pentagon.

Alondes ‘Man-Man’ Williams powered the Skyforce to an improbable 138-130 victory, as he netted a franchise record 55 points on 21-30 FGA.

Let me say that again – 55 points on 21-30 FGA.

 Over 50 points on 70-percent shooting.

That’s only happened three times in the history of the NBA G League.

“It feels great to be in a family that has produced such great talents throughout the years, whether that was in the beginning days or recently,” Williams said of shattering the franchise record held by Scotty Hopson (52 points against Reno on 2/24/15). “The support here is awesome. The Skyforce has given me a lot of opportunities so far to showcase my game, be great, and be myself. What else can you ask for as a player?”

Williams and the Skyforce got out to a slow start – down 0-17 and trailed by as many as 26 points in the first half.

“It was early,” Williams said. “They started talking trash and at that point I was upset we dug ourselves a hole. The buckets were going in and my teammates encouraged me to keep shooting and driving to the rim. I knew we could come back and win the game, so until the clock hit zeros, that is all I really cared about.”

The team clawed back, trailing by 18 points at halftime. There was life after a slow start.

“I don’t feel like anything really changed for me out there from the first half to the second,” he said. “It all started with getting stops on the defensive side of the ball and I liked the matchups I had. We had a good gameplan of how to attack them, so it just happened to flow a little more different as we were able to get a feel for them and the game.”

That’s exactly what happened in the third quarter. Sioux Falls scored 49 points in the frame on 63.6 percent shooting. Man-Man and HEAT two-way Cole Swider combined for 34 points in the quarter, as they took a 104-99 lead with just 12 minutes remaining.

“He can get to any spot on the floor that he wants,” Skyforce head coach Kasib Powell said of Williams. “He does a great job of making the right passes and plays. He makes us go as a unit and he’s truly a monster out there. He is extremely competitive on the defensive side, too, and just really brings a spark.”

Down the stretch, against a team with two NBA assignees and three two-way players, Williams went punch-for-punch with the Stars and fended off four lead changes or ties.

He netted 21 points on 8-9 FGA in the fourth quarter, and Powell continued to feed the hot hand.

“I was definitely happy for him,” Powell said. “I would be lying to say when he was around the 40’s that I thought he was going to break the record. But I wanted him to get even more than 55. I am even happier he could do it in a game that we really needed it to get the win.”

For Williams, who did not know at the time his coach once held the record, there is great pride in being mentioned in the same list as Powell.

“It’s really a blessing to have someone like KP in my corner, and to be able to break it with him coaching,” he said. “I am happy to be included in a group of names that he’s a part of.”  

Williams is the only player in the G League to have multiple 40-point outpours this season and he credits his ability to play free in the Skyforce system. He netted 42 points in a 145-121 victory against Motor City on Nov. 28.

“They (the coaches) let me be me and be free,” Man-Man said. “I play best when I feel I can be in the flow of the game and there’s attention to detail, but in a way that I can still operate in a free flow, and I think it has helped my game a lot.”

That ‘free’ style of play dates to his younger days, and Williams even admits it’s part of where he got his notorious nickname.

“I got called Man-Man from my mom,” he said with a smile. “Growing up where I am from, anyone with the nickname ‘Man Man’ was wild, crazy, and energetic. It stuck with me to this day because not much has changed, I am still like that.

It’s just who I am. Growing up, playing basketball and being at the park all the time was what I did. I’ve always had that dog in me, from a young age, so I think the name still really fits me a lot.”

The confidence in Williams is a big part of why the Skyforce is 6-0 to start the regular season.

“He’s stepped up a lot this year and we have asked a lot of him, whether that’s a role with the ball in his hands, off the bench, a feature guy, or playmaker,” Powell said. “He’s done it all in stride and is a leader for us. Man-Man is someone I want on my side, and I know he’s always out there trying to get the win, no matter what it takes.”

For Williams, the focus continues to be what’s its always been: winning the day. He credits being in the HEAT’s system for his development from year-one to year-two as a professional.

“I think I have developed my three-point shot since being in the HEAT system,” he noted. ”But also, a lot of little things that really matter, especially when little things separate you from either being in the G League or the NBA.”

Despite the record setting performance, there’s one thing he’s focused on: playing winning basketball.

“I see Man-Man having a long NBA career, which I know is something he’s capable of,” Powell said. “He’s helped and led us and his contributions night in, and night out have gotten us to where we are right now.”

Williams and the Skyforce takes on the Memphis Hustle on Tuesday, with tip-off slated for 7:00 PM CST. You can catch him this upcoming weekend at home, with a back-to-back on Friday and Saturday against the Austin Spurs. Tip-off is 7:00 PM CST for both games at the Sanford Pentagon.

The goal next is to just keep winning basketball games and try to stack as many in a row as we can,” Williams said. “That’s the only focus. When you tend to look at it that way, everything else usually takes care of itself.”