The Memphis Hustle took on the Ontario Clippers for a snowy Sunday showdown in the Mid-South. The Hustle came into this matchup short on three of their most key players (LaRavia, G.G. Jackson, and Gilyard) and were forced to run a condensed three-man bench and ask their guys to play nearly perfect games as the Clippers operated on full strength and played like it. It was a rough night and a rough showing for the guys, but one thing that was unquestionable was the heart and determination that they played with the entire evening.
Memphis, who came into the night losers of four straight, was going up against a Clippers team that was facing struggles of their own, including a two-game losing streak and hovering two games below the .500 mark. Both squads came into this one desperate for a change of fate and looked to get back on the right track, and luckily for the Clippers, they faced a severely shorthanded Hustle team, and they capitalized on it.
Matthew Hurt and DeJon Jarreau both provided key performances tonight against the odds. Hurt provided 28 points and 6 rebounds, and Jarreau notched a 25-point, 12-assist double-double, arguably his best game in a Hustle jersey thus far. Only one player for the team finished with positive efficiency numbers; the team was out-rebounded by 18, and our three-man bench was limited to 29 points, opposed to 47 by the Clippers.
The Hustle have been struggling without the playmaking of Jacob Gilyard, the scoring of Jake LaRavia and G.G. Jackson Jr., and the bench presence of Adonis Arms Jr.. Winning a game while lacking rotational pieces is always difficult enough, but when the players happen to be key pieces, it makes it even harder, and sadly for the Hustle, this will probably be their reality for a prolonged period of time as a dismantled Grizzlies team that is battling injuries is likely to hold and retain them for at least the next few weeks, especially after the play they’ve provided at a league level.
The Hustle will resume action on Tuesday versus the Ontario Clippers, where they will seek revenge and look to snap their losing streak of five games. Tip will be live from the Landers Center in Southaven at 7:00 p.m. The weather will be inclement and the roads will be hazardous, but luckily the game will be available for free viewing on www.NBAGleague.com.
If you do choose to attend the game in person, tickets are available by calling (901) 888-HOOP, visiting https://memphis.gleague.nba.com/ticket-central, or visiting the Landers Center box office.