Memphis basketball was back in action Monday night live in Birmingham, Alabama, as the Hustle took on the Squadron after a nice three-day break in play. Memphis came into this game off of a bitter defeat versus the Legends and looked to flip to the cool side of the pillow with a win on the evening; meanwhile, the Squadron were looking to even up the score and advance to .500 on the season.
The Squadron came out ready to roll Monday evening, jumping out to a double-digit lead early, while the Hustle were waking up from their brief hibernation; they led by as many as 12 points early in the first half. Birmingham’s play dwindled down throughout the end of the first half and into the third quarter before finally reviving itself in crunch time during the fourth. The Hustle were subject to some Memphis home cookin’ as 901 native Jalen Crutcher turned the Hustle defense into BBQ chicken, with a 39-point explosion (including the three-point game-winner), remaining virtually unstoppable on the evening while only missing five shots on 20 attempts. Birmingham had a pair of 16-point double-doubles from Malcolm Hill and Trey Jemison on the night as well.
The Squadron also did a very good job of attacking the small-ball lineup Memphis was running, including Matthew Hurt, who was getting acclimated to being back on the floor. They out-rebounded the Hustle by double-digits and posted 46 paint points. While these are glaring issues, I expect the Hustle to work them out, as rotations settle and Hurt gets back up to playing speed.
The Hustle started the night off slow before finally catching up, only to run out of gas at the finish line. Memphis had to chisel away at a double-digit lead early in the first half, which required a lot of discipline, work, and resilience. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to secure the win on Monday evening.
The Hustle played a very great second half of basketball, led by none other than G.G. Jackson. Jackson was on fire in the second half and looked uncontainable in his groove; he and Jalen Crutcher were trading baskets like stocks throughout the entirety of the Monday night matchup. David Johnson played solid ball as well, scoring 16 on 4/9 shooting, while Davon Reed notched nine points and seven assists in his Hustle debut. They just couldn’t close the game out, which remains a challenge for the team this season.
On a brighter note, center Matthew Hurt was finally back in action for Memphis this evening, as I stated previously. His performance was a little rusty, but that is typically expected after missing a prolonged amount of time. I fully expect the reintegration of Hurt to greatly impact this team on both sides of the court with his size and play style, something the Hustle have definitely been missing. The Squadron had their way in the paint and on the boards tonight, but he will be way more impactful as he revs back up. It’s just refreshing to see him back on the floor, period.
The Hustle are now 4–9 and will get another break, this time for three days, as they are set to resume action on Friday versus the Austin Spurs, live from Southaven. For tickets, call (901) 888-HOOP, visit https://memphis.gleague.nba.com/ticket-central, or visit the Landers Center box office.