AUSSIE talent Johnny Furphy was terrific as the Indiana Mad Ants defeated the Greensboro Swarm in the first round of the G League playoffs, which began earlier today.

Furphy was one of many reinforcements the Mad Ants received in their first postseason outing, giving Indiana a huge boost in what was always shaping as a tight contest. The two sides had identical records (20-14) at the conclusion of the regular season fixture, and Indiana booked hosting rights by the tightest of margins, winning the season series against the Swarm.

It was an extremely high scoring affair, with plenty of players delivering on the offensive end for both sides in some seriously high-tempo basketball. The Mad Ants jumped out to a nine-point buffer at the first change, and led by 18 at the final break. Although Greensboro gave its all in the final term with a spirited fightback, the damage was already done as the hosts held on for a 10-point win.

Although he has spent much of the season with the team’s NBA affiliate (the Indiana Pacers), Furphy returned to the G League in style with one of the best performances of his young career.

Indiana Mad Ants (120) def. Greensboro Swarm (110)

Johnny Furphy – 25 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal

Furphy was one of the Mad Ants’ best performers in the win over the Swarm, and although much of the attention will go to Quenton Jackson (34 points, nine assists), the Aussie was just as impressive in his return to G League action.

He nailed his first attempt from the field, a catch and shoot triple in the first quarter to provide a clear indicator of his aggression when getting the ball. He turned the ball over a couple of times shortly thereafter, but did not let this interfere with his offensive groove, hitting the scoreboard once again with a driving dunk.

Although he was reasonably quiet in the second term as the Swarm looked to reel in the deficit and take away Indiana’s offensive weapons, Furphy bounced back in the third quarter with a trio of layups that showed how much success the Mad Ants were finding scoring the ball inside.

Furphy then nailed another three-pointer to open the fourth term, again sinking the catch and shoot, and showing his ability to stretch the floor whenever he finds himself wide open. With a nice blend of athleticism and impressive shooting ability, he makes a tough matchup for the opposition.

He scored across all three levels in the fourth quarter, with the highlights being an impressive pull up jumper from midrange, and a dagger three-pointer with just over a minute on the clock to send the Mad Ants through to the second round.

He finished with 25 points, which was the second most of any Indiana player, and doing it on an impressive 9/15 shooting from the field, including 10 points in the final term alone as the hosts held off a late charge from the Swarm.

Furphy and the Mad Ants will now turn their attention to the second round of the G League playoffs, where they will face off against the Osceola Magic.