‘Always show home love.’ Thornwell, Dozier return to SC, put on show at Pro-Am
“No way!” P.J. Dozier shouted with his eyes toward the top of the key. “No way!”
The seventh annual South Carolina Pro-Am basketball tournament began Sunday with a matchup of the two faces of USC’s 2017 Final Four run. Except Dozier and Sindarius Thornwell were opponents this time.
It was midway through the first half when Dozier, sensing what his old teammate had in mind, moved his defensive position from the wing to the baseline. Thornwell is a sleek 6-foot-5, 215-pounder with 73 games of NBA experience under his belt. Keyshawn Bryant is an incoming Carolina freshman with necessary trips to the weight room in his future. The pro was dribbling aggressively at the rookie.
Dozier’s shouts of “No way!” were followed by his block at the rim. Thornwell glided by Bryant, but his chance at a big finish was denied by Dozier.
Competitiveness ruled the evening session at Heathwood Hall as Thornwell’s Leevy’s team beat Dozier and PASCO, 99-96. Thornwell finished with a game-high 29 points and 11 rebounds while Dozier had 18 points, six boards and two swats.
A couple NBA Summer League participants hardly looked fatigued as they returned to their home state to put on a show before a packed gym.
“The support system around here is amazing, man,” Dozier said. “We were able to see that going through that whole process, going to the Final Four.”
“Always show home love,” Thornwell added.
Before they squared off against one another, Dozier and Thornwell met separately with reporters Sunday. Toward the end of Dozier’s session, Thornwell emerged from a side-door and started making noises in Dozier’s direction.
The Spring Valley grad couldn’t help but crack a smile.
“I tell you what,” Dozier said as he playfully shook hands with Thornwell, “the game can start now. I can’t wait.”
Thronwell, of Lancaster, and Dozier, of Columbia, are forever in USC lore. They co-starred in the greatest month in Gamecock basketball history. Two years later, they’re headliners at all local events, most especially the Pro-Am.
“I feel like it’s on me to hype it up and build it up,” Thornwell said. “I want to one day have people say they want to play the South Carolina Pro-Am with Sin. Everybody knows that if they’re from South Carolina, I try to keep them home or get them to come back and play.
“Always show home love, where you started at.”
Thornwell, coming off his rookie season with the Los Angeles Clippers, played in five games in the Las Vegas Summer League. He averaged 14.4 points. five rebounds and three assists. The Clippers played their Summer League finale July 12.
Ten days later, Thornwell was back at it.
“I was playing,” he said of the Pro-Am. “The only way I wasn’t playing was if I was injured or something. Yeah, I was going to come home and play, regardless.”
Dozier, coming off his first year in the Oklahoma City Thunder organization, averaged 11 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in the Summer League.
“Having that first experience under my belt, I think helped me a lot,” Dozier said. “I came out and just enjoyed myself and tried to contribute as much as possible.”
Such strategy continued Sunday. Dozier and Thornwell, treating this exhibition like it was an SEC game, traded highlights. Several possessions after that Dozier block, Thornwell got his revenge by stealing a Dozier alley-oop attempt.
When Thornwell later dove on the floor for a loose ball and the official awarded possession to Dozier’s team? Thornwell responded by barking at him.
“Come on, ref!”
Dozier, meanwhile, took the in-bounds pass and raced the other way.
The intensity never stopped.
“I’m here to win it all,” Thornwell said. “I’m not here to play. I’m here to win it all.”
SC Pro-Am Schedule
SUNDAY, JULY 22
Jets 103, Bernie’s Chicken 101 (3OT)
Bakari Sellers 119, Knights Concrete 97
Leevy’s 99, PASCO 96
WEDNESDAY, JULY 25
6:00 PM PASCO VS. Jets
7:15 PM Bernie’s Chicken vs. Knights Concrete
8:30 PM Leevy’s vs. Bakari Sellers All-Stars
SATURDAY, JULY 28
2:30 PM Jets vs. Bakari Sellers All-Stars
3:45 PM Leevy’s vs. Bernie’s Chicken
5:00 PM PASCO vs. Knights Concrete
SUNDAY, JULY 29 (CHAMPIONSHIP)
2:30 PM 5TH PLACE vs 6TH PLACE
3:45 PM 4TH PLACE vs. 3RD PLACE
5:00 PM 2ND PLACE vs. 1ST PLACE
This story was originally published July 22, 2018 at 8:40 PM.