For the first time in the history of Lipscomb basketball, a former Bison played in a regular-season NBA game. Garrison Mathews took the court for the Washington Wizards in their season opener against the Dallas Mavericks.
With just under a minute left in the 4th quarter, Wizards coach Scott Brooks brought rookies Mathews and former Virginia Tech standout Justin Robinson in to close out the game for Washington.
Mathews signed a two-way contract with the Wizards earlier this summer, which allows him to play in the NBA for 45 days and with the Wizards’ affiliate, the Capital City Go-Gos, for the remainder of the season.
In his one minute of playing time, Mathews assisted fellow two-way player, Chris Chiozza, on a three, cutting the Mavericks winning margin to only eight, 108-100.
However, Mathews was not the only player to make his NBA debut Wednesday night; across the court, fellow former Bison, Zach Flener, opened the season as a member of Dallas’s player development team.
Prior to the game, Mathews and Flener were able to meet to wish each other luck as they both begin their new careers.
Continue to follow the Washington Wizards as Garrison continues his NBA career and check back for updates on his career here at Lumination Network.