Hurt goes off for 36 as Hustle snap their five-game skid.

Whether you’re paying attention to the Grizzlies or the Hustle, Memphis basketball has been known for two things as of late: being extremely shorthanded and embodying their next-man-up mentality. The Hustle, who are shorthanded because the Grizzlies are shorthanded and are actively calling up their players, have had to be extremely reliant on all eight of their active players in their past few matchups. With G.G. Jackson, Jacob Gilyard, and Jason Preston being on NBA assignments, Jake LaRavia being injured, and Adonis Arms being out, the Hustle have had to completely reconfigure their lineups and game plan in order to stay afloat, but with the help of their “next-man-up” mentality, they finally got the job done against the odds.

Coming into the snowy Tuesday night matchup versus the Clippers, Memphis was losers of five straight games, including a loss to this same team the last time the squads hit the hardwood, and were looking to finally snap their streak of misfortune. In their last matchup, the Hustle were in attendance for the Jordan Miller tour and managed to get a 30-point game from him as a souvenir as the Clippers routed Memphis for a 126-119 victory. Tonight things were a bit different though, as Miller was seemingly impacted by this southern cold front as he was frigid from the floor, shooting 6-16 from the floor and 0-5 from three, including his game-winning attempt that clanked off the front of the iron. A huge relief for a shorthanded Memphis team that had trouble containing them in their previous matchup. The Clippers did get a fair showing from the majority of their team, but shutting down Miller made a tremendous difference and ultimately won Memphis the game.

Next-man-up. That’s the motto. All eight guys did their thing tonight despite their backs being against the wall, and they all deserve their flowers, but I would be wrong to not tell you all how Matthew Hurt brought the PAIN (y’all knew I was going to say it; don’t act like you didn’t see it coming) and erupted for 36 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and three blocks while finishing +10 on the game! Show the big fella some love! David Johnson also put on a show with 26 points, four assists, and two game-winning free throws to put the game on ice. Literally.

The game started a little slow for the Hustle, and they played with great resiliency before running a little tired by the fourth quarter, which was completely understandable for a team lacking five guys (no burgers, this isn’t a sponsorship). The shorthanded Hustle came up big, and with a wonderful collective team effort, they managed to overcome the odds and ignite a one-game winning streak. Shoutout to the guys.

The Hustle will resume action on Thursday versus the Austin Spurs, where they will look to extend their newly established winning streak to two games. Tip will be live from Cedar Park, TX, at 7:00 p.m. The game will be available for viewing on ESPN+.