The Greensboro Swarm secured their spot in the NBA G League Eastern Conference Finals with a hard-fought 118-108 victory over the Capital City Go-Go on Friday night at Novant Health Fieldhouse. The Charlotte Hornets' affiliate will now travel to face the top-seeded Osceola Magic in Sunday's championship matchup.
The second-seeded Swarm (24-12) controlled the game for all but one minute, building a lead that stretched to 16 points despite facing multiple surges from their opponents. The win came without two-way center PJ Hall, who had been transferred to Charlotte earlier in the week.
Tidjane Salaun delivered a standout performance for Greensboro, recording 24 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists while connecting on four three-pointers. The French forward's all-around effort set the tone for a dominant rebounding performance that proved decisive.
NBA assignment player Liam McNeeley and two-way forward Tosan Evbuomwan both recorded double-doubles with 19 points and 10 rebounds, and 19 points and 12 rebounds respectively. Jonas Aidoo contributed 11 rebounds as the Swarm won the battle on the glass decisively, 61-41.
The game remained tightly contested throughout, with Capital City mounting a 13-0 fourth-quarter run that trimmed Greensboro's lead to just one possession with under two minutes remaining. The Swarm responded with clutch plays down the stretch to secure the victory.
"We knew they wouldn't go away easily," said Salaun after the game. "They made their runs, but we stayed composed and executed when it mattered most. Our rebounding was the key tonight—we knew we had to control the glass to win."
Capital City was led by guard Chris Livingston's 27-point effort and center Skal Labissiere, who posted 26 points and eight rebounds. Kadary Richmond nearly recorded a triple-double with 12 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds in the losing effort.
The Swarm's defensive effort proved crucial, as they limited Go-Go guard Alondes Williams to a 4-of-17 shooting performance after he had scored 39 points in Capital City's first-round victory.
Greensboro head coach emphasized the team's resilience: "This group has shown character all season. When they made that run in the fourth, our guys didn't panic. They made the winning plays—getting to the line, securing offensive rebounds, and getting stops when we needed them."
The game featured an interior-focused start, with the first 12 field goals coming from inside the paint. Neither team converted from outside until the 4:19 mark of the first quarter.
McNeeley provided crucial momentum swings for Greensboro, igniting the home crowd with two right-wing three-pointers in the third quarter that extended a five-point lead to 11 and forced a Capital City timeout.
With the victory, Greensboro advances to face the Osceola Magic (26-10) on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET in Kissimmee, Florida. The game will be broadcast on Prime Video, with the winner advancing to the G League Finals.
The Swarm will look to continue their playoff run against the Eastern Conference's top seed, seeking their first trip to the championship series since the franchise's inception.
