Santa Cruz Warriors: Phil Pressey Named “Performer of the Week”
Phil Pressey of the Santa Cruz Warriors named “Performer of the Week.”
Phil Pressey of the Santa Cruz Warriors (25-17) has been named the NBA D-League’s “Performer of the Week” for games played between Monday, March 6 through Sunday, March 12. Santa Cruz went undefeated in that time, winning each of their three scheduled contests to push their current winning streak to six.
The 26-year-old floor general played a central role in each of those three wins, averaging 24.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.0 blocks on 51.9 percent shooting from the field and 37.9 percent shooting from behind the arc.
On March 8, Pressey recorded 28 points, 11 assists and six steals in a 128-122 victory over the Raptors 905, snapping the Raptors’ 9-game winning streak. In addition, Pressey had his best shooting night as a Warrior, going 10-for-16 from the field (62.5%), 4-for-8 from behind the arc (50%), and 4-for-5 (80%) from the free throw line.
Two nights later, Pressey helped lead Surf City to a 144-123 win over the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. He nearly posted a triple-double, finishing with 26 points, seven rebounds and nine assists to go with his two blocks. He shot 10-for-18 from the field (55.6%) and 6-for-13 from behind the arc (46.2%).
Then on Sunday, Pressey notched a double-double in Santa Cruz’s 111-108 win over the Iowa Energy, tallying 19 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, three steals, and one block. He went 7-for-18 from the field (38.9%) and 4-for-4 (100%) from the charity stripe.
For the month of March, Pressey has played in five matchups, over the course of which he’s averaged 23.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 11.6 assists, 3.2 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.8 turnovers on 47.2 percent shooting.
Prior to the All-Star break, Pressey averaged 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 2.0 steals on 38.6 percent shooting. After the All-Star break, Pressey has been on an absolute tear, averaging 21.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 11.0 assists and 2.1 steals on 44.5 percent shooting.
Santa Cruz now controls the fourth and final seed in the NBA D-League Western Conference. They’ll have a chance to further their winning streak to lucky number seven on Tuesday when the Sea Dubs visit the Oklahoma City Blue (29-14) at the Cox Convention Center for a 5:00 p.m. PDT matchup.