Bell-Holter scores 21, most ever by Alaskan in NBA D-League
After a slow start to his professional career, Damen Bell-Holter of Hydaburg finally caught fire.
And nobody is more relieved than him.
The 6-foot-9 rookie with the Maine Red Claws forward bagged a season-high 21 points to go along with nine rebounds and two blocked shots in a 93-74 loss to Springfield in NBA D-League action.
Bell-Holter sank 9-of-19 shots from the field, including two 3-pointers.
“I’ve needed a big game,” he told me. “I had been doing really well in practices and everything, but I needed a good game to get me going.”
He came into the game with a season high of 10 points and hadn’t reached double figures in each of his last three games.
Bell-Holter, of Ketchikan High fame, found his shooting stroke early and he was rewarded with a season-high 30 minutes. He said part of his success could be related to the Maine coaches moved him from center back to power forward.
“That’s my natural position,” he said.
His 21 points was the most by an Alaska player in the NBA D-League, bettering the previous high of 18 set earlier this season by Ramon Harris of Anchorage. They are the only two Alaskans to play in the league, which was created in 2001.