Mad Ants Gift Hustle Their First Regular Season Loss.

The holidays are winding down, and G League basketball is gearing back up. The Memphis Hustle resumed action versus the Indiana Mad Ants for their first matchup of the season. Memphis comes into this matchup with fresh legs and a mental reset after having played their last matchup in a 98-113 defeat to the Raptors 905 on December 22nd, which gave them a nice five-day rest period. This is also the kickoff of the official start of the G League season, which served the Hustle a clean slate with (what was) a 0-0 reset before they fell to 0-1 with their Wednesday afternoon blunder.

The Hustle and Mad Ants both came into the game on Wednesday looking to capitalize on the start of the new regular season and get the first dibs on a 1-0 record. The Mad Ants were led by former NBA Champion Jordan Bell, who provided a generous 23 points, four rebounds, and four assists off the bench. Indiana jumped out to an early first-quarter lead and kicked off the game with a quick 8-0 run after the Hustle scored the first basket of the game. The Hustle did manage to recoup and went into halftime trailing by merely three points after they erupted for a 42-point second quarter. The Hustle carried the momentum into the third quarter as Jason Preston hosted an assist clinic, setting his teammates up for great looks, which resulted in both teams being tied up at 100 heading into the fourth…

… which is a place that has haunted the Memphis Hustle for most of the year, and today was no different. Indiana’s Oscar Tshiebwe started the quarter on a 4-0 run in the first two minutes, and the Hustle ultimately cut it back down to a one-point lead off of a David Johnson dunk with roughly eight minutes to go. The Mad Ants consequently called a timeout.

I’m not sure what transpired in that Mad Ants timeout, but it worked because they instantly replied with a 12-4 run that created great separation late into the fourth quarter of the game. From that point forward, it was essentially Indiana’s game.

Not all was negative for the Hustle, though; it really just came down to them not being able to provide in crunch time. Matthew Hurt had arguably his best game of the year so far, dropping 27 points, six rebounds, and three blocks; G.G. Jackson provided 20 points and eight rebounds; and JASON PRESTON poured on 18 points, 14 assists, and 12 rebounds for a squeaky clean triple-double. The team really did look good; they just couldn’t capitalize late in the game. Still, this is only game one; there is no need for the panic button.

The Memphis Hustle will resume action on New Year’s Day versus the Iowa Wolves, live from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA, with a tip-off set for 2:00 p.m. Show some love to your Hustle and cheer them on from wherever life may take you that afternoon. Happy New Year, and here’s to another Memphis Hustle season.