Tornike Shengelia and TyShawn Taylor have returned to the Brooklyn Nets.
Tornike Shengelia has returned to the Nets after earning D-League performer of the week for the Armor.
SPRINGFIELD - The Springfield Armor returned to life-after-Toko Wednesday night when they hosted the Tulsa 66ers at the MassMutual Center.
"Toko” is Tornike Shengelia, the 6-foot-8 forward from the Republic of Georgia who was sent to the Armor from the Brooklyn Nets for some playing time.
And boy did he play.
Shengelia and Tyshawn Taylor, who was fairly impressive as well, have twice been assigned to the Armor, the most recent a three-game stint that saw Shengelia earn NBA D-Leaguer performer of the week honors.
Shengelia only played two of the three games with Springfield last week, missing the last one after taking an inadvertent elbow to the head against Santa Cruz that left him with a cut under his right eye and a little groggy.
A 39-point, 18-rebound, 6-assist effort in a win over Maine tied the franchise record for points in a game and was the fourth highest rebound total. And he did it all on 17 of 21 shooting from the floor.
Against Santa Cruz he scored 24 points with 13 rebounds despite the first-half knock to the head that was later diagnosed as concussion-like symptoms.
In the two games, Shengelia was an amazing 25 for 33 from the floor.
Shengelia and Taylor were recalled to the Nets after Sunday’s loss at Maine, which opens opportunities for some regular roster players to make their mark on this team and the league.
Guards Christian Polk and Ramone Moore will see some of their playing time returned, as will forward Dennis Horner. Armor fans will likely see a little more of Paul Carter and Kenny Adeleke, mid-season acquisitions, as well.
“Kenny is a guy who brings toughness and rebounding and size and we’re hoping he can bring us that element coming off the bench,” Armor coach Bob MacKinnon said. “Paul is a guy who we think is versatile, athletic slashing type of player, a guy who can play both the three and the four who can hopefully give us some energy off the bench.”
Carter came to the Armor in a trade with Santa Cruz, the Warriors getting Shawn Taggert while the Armor got the 6-8 forward and a fifth-round draft pick in 2013.
Carter started the season with Idaho but was traded on Jan. 2 to Santa Cruz, then traded to Springfield without playing a game for the Warriors. He has played in seven games for Springfield.
Adeleke was acquired Jan. 10 from the D-League available player pool. After several years and six international stops, the University of Hartford graduate is in his first season in the D-League.
Adeleke has played in six games for the Armor.
ARMOR NOTES: It was a homecoming of sorts for Tulsa assistant coach Glenn Wong, an Amherst College graduate who is in his first year with the 66ers. Wong played professionally in Ireland for three years before getting hired by the Oklahoma City Thunder, the hybrid affiliate of Tulsa. Wong is the son of University of Massachusetts Isenberg School of Management Sports Management professor and lawyer Glenn M. Wong ... The 66ers had their morning shootaround at Center Court of the Basketball Hall of Fame ... The D-League All-Star game will be held in conjunction with the NBA All-Star weekend for the seventh time, the Futures and Prospects game being held on Feb. 15 in Houston. Last year, the Armor sent three players to the All-Star Game: JamesOn Curry, Jerry Smith and Jeff Foote.