The Memphis Hustle took on the G League Ignite for the second night in a row on Sunday and were victorious in both matchups. The Hustle jumped out to an early lead and led by as many as fifteen in the first half, with the contributions of Adonis Arms, Cameron McGriff and Dejon Jarreau being major keys to their success.
Unlike last night’s matchup, projected NBA lottery pick Matas Buzelis was active for the G League Ignite and was the focal point of their offense. The 6’10” 19-year-old from Lithuania had one of his more lackluster performances of the season thus far, yet it was still an impressive one as he posted 16 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists, the only downsides being a six-to-three turnover/assist ratio and lapses in his defense. Ron Holland was still inactive for the Ignite.
The Hustle played excellent team basketball en route to an 18-point victory to celebrate head coach Jason March’s 100th career victory with the team. Cameron McGriff provided 18 points and three steals off of the bench; DeJon Jarreau poured in 17 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and three steals; and Adonis Arms took over with 27 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal. This is the second straight game that these three have provided solid performances to help lead the team to victory. Postgame, I caught up with Adonis Arms and asked him about the rise in performance from him and his teammates, how much it means to see his guys get called up, and what it means to see these results moving forward. Here is what he had to say:
“I give all things to God, bro. First and foremost. Like I said before, I mean, without him, I can’t do anything. And without him, I wouldn’t be here. So, just all thanks to him. But I just trust and believe in the work that I put in, and it’s gonna happen eventually, one day or another. But, you know, with guys being called up like Matt, big congrats to him. He deserves it. You know what I mean? But it’s just a next-man-up mentality. You just gotta be ready. Kobe mentality, Mamba mentality. You gotta be ready. That’s why I stick by.”
This makes three straight wins for the Memphis Hustle and leaves them tied for the eighth seed in the Western Conference G League standings.
The Hustle will look to continue their winning streak versus the Stockton Kings on Wednesday morning. Tip will be live from the Landers Center in Southaven, Mississippi, at 10:30 a.m. The game will be available for viewing at https://gleague.nba.com/.
For tickets, call (901) 888-HOOP, visit https://memphis.gleague.nba.com/ticket-central, or visit the Landers Center box office.
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