Head coach John Coffino says, “We are excited about playing the defending champs. I feel we have made positive strides and are playing better team basketball. It should be a good barometer to see if we have improved and are ready to play against an elite team.”

On the Tbirds roster, is NBA D-League’s point’s leader. Will Conroy has been ranked #1 in the D-League for numerous weeks and right now he is averaging 24.2 ppg. Conroy is also ranked #3 in free throws averaging 6.7 ftpg, #4 in assists averaging 7.2 apg and is tied with teammate David Noel who are ranked #3 in steals averaging 2.7 spg. Finally, David Monds is ranked #5 in rebounds averaging 10.4 rpg.

Tbirds tickets start at $5 and can purchased by calling 505-265-DUNK (3865) or by going online at www.abqtbirds.com. The Tbirds will participate in the NBA D-League Showcase in Orem, UT and will play the Sioux Falls Skyforce on Monday, January 5 at 11:00am. The Tbirds next home games are Friday, January 9 and Saturday, January 10 both at 7:00pm.

The NBA Development League is the NBA's official minor league, and the first-ever basketball league with direct affiliations to NBA teams. Having recently completed its seventh season, the NBA D-League’s goals are to provide affordable, NBA-caliber entertainment to fans of its 16 teams, as well as continue to develop players, coaches, referees and front-office personnel for the NBA. As the single source for in-season player "call-ups" to the NBA, fans of the D-League enjoy the highest caliber of basketball played outside the NBA. In fact 15 percent of players on 2008 end-of-season NBA rosters spent time honing their skills in the League. In addition, it has produced current NBA coaches and 25 percent of the NBA’s referees. The NBA D-League is an innovative and rapidly growing sports property that also serves as an experimental testing ground for new initiatives like NBA Futurecast, the live web-streaming of all games available free at nba.com/futurecast. The League also provides continuing education and professional development resources for its players, and is committed to serving its local communities through D-LEAGUE CARES and grassroots efforts.

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