Sports

Patience pays off for Gaines

From his four sterling seasons at Georgia to leading the Bulldogs to an improbably NCAA Tournament berth as a senior to performing well in several workouts for NBA teams, Sundiata Gaines felt he had done enough. The 2008 NBA Draft was supposed to be a joyous evening. Instead, it was disappointing – Gaines went undrafted.

Instead of lamenting his situation, the former Archbishop Molloy standout was in the gym the next morning.

“Everything happens for a reason,” the Rochdale Village, Queens native said. “You can’t moan about it or sulk. You have to find a way to get yourself seen.”

For Gaines, that meant a season overseas in Italy with NGC Cantu followed by time with the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Developmental League, where he averaged 23.9 points and 6.9 assists per game in 14 games.

Two years after the 2008 Draft, he is in the NBA, a backup guard for the Utah Jazz, living out a lifelong dream. His finest moment came just five games into his stay with the Jazz, when he hit a game winning 3-pointer – his first in the NBA – to beat the buzzer and LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers.

“That will always hold a special place in my heart,” he said.

So does the city. Despite his newfound NBA fame, Gaines has spent much of the summer back in the Big Apple. He was at Nike Pro City on Tuesday, scoring 17 points and dishing out seven assists to help lead Gold’s Gym to the league’s title game on Thursday.

“Playing streetball is where you get your toughness,” he said.

Gaines started out with the Jazz on a 10-day contract, but played well enough to stay much longer. The Jazz inked him to another 10-day contract when the initial one ran out Jan. 15, the day after his game-winner against the Cavs, and signed him for the rest of the year 10 days later.

He appeared in 32 regular season games, averaging 3.3 points and 1.2 assists per game, and received playing time in five playoff games, too.

“Great organization, great coaches,” he said. “Great thing about them is you’re always learning. I couldn’t be a in better position than playing behind Deron Williams.”

Gaines said he has picked up plenty of nuances from Williams, considered one of the NBA’s best point guards. He’s learned about setting a game’s pace, when to be aggressive and when to look for his teammates.

Gaines credited his development to his stints at Georgia, Italy, and Idaho. He learned how to be a point guard – at 6-foot-1 he had no choice – and do the little things on the court. Gaines was always a talented defender, but didn’t work at it enough until the last few years. He became more consistent with his medium range jumper, too.

“I always felt like I should be in the NBA,” he said. “It only took a lot of time.”

When Gaines hit the buzzer-beater against the Cavs that was the moment he felt he truly belonged. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, Gaines recalled, put him in there when he wasn’t even supposed to be in the game. He thought he was a decoy on the play, but took the shot anyway.

Now, he wants more moments like that one.

“I got to continue,” he said. “I don’t want to live off that.”

zbraziller@nypost.com