DIA AND PIERRE JR. IMPRESS IN DEBUTS AS SQUADRON FALL TO SPURS

KENNER, La. – Two-way rookies Malik Dia and Jaron Pierre Jr. combined for 56 points, but the Laketown Squadron, NBA G League affiliate of the New Orleans Pelicans, fell to the Austin Spurs, 117-110, in the team’s season debut on Sunday afternoon.

Malik Dia led all scorers with 31 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the field in his professional debut. He also led all players in rebounds with 14 while dishing out three assists.

2026 second-round pick Jaron Pierre Jr. recorded 25 points in his professional debut. The New Orleans native shot 4-of-10 from three-point range and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line.

Hunter Dickinson got off to a hot start in his second season with the Squadron (0-1), posting nine points on 4-of-5 shooting from the floor in the first quarter. Laketown led by as many as five points in the period and held a 22-21 lead over the Spurs (2-0) after the first 12 minutes.

In the second quarter, New Orleans Pelicans two-ways Malik Dia and Jaron Pierre Jr. combined for 24 points to lead the Squadron offense, which shot 50% from the field, including 8-of-15 from three-point range. However, the Spurs went 11-of-20 from behind the arc to take a 67-64 lead into halftime.

Coming out of the break, Austin built their largest lead of the game, 79-70, in just over seven minutes of play. Laketown immediately responded with an 8-0 run in under two minutes, but the Spurs remained ahead, 87-83, going into the final 12 minutes.

The momentum for the hosts continued into the fourth quarter, as Austin extended their lead to as many as 19 points. The Squadron trimmed the deficit down to single digits late in the period, but the Spurs held on to clinch their second-straight victory, 117-110.

Up next, the Squadron will face the Mexico City Capitanes in their Home Opener on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 11 a.m. The Hispanic Heritage Day game can be watched on the Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network, the NBA App and NBA.com. Fans can also listen to the live play-by-broadcast on 106.7 The Ticket. Tickets are available on tixr.com/groups/squadron.

For more information and updates on the Laketown Squadron, visit LaketownSquadron.com or follow the team on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.