The Memphis Hustle squared off against the Osceola Magic on Tuesday afternoon, looking to redeem themselves from the disastrous showing that transpired the last time they stepped foot in the Silver Spurs Arena. Unfortunately for Memphis, history was repeated before it was re-written as they once again fell short of victory in Florida, attempting to keep up with an on-fire Magic squad as they were shorthanded on the evening.
The Osceola Magic came into tonight’s matchup victorious in five of their last six matchups with no sign of slowing down, especially with a depleted Hustle team showing up to attempt knocking them off their groove. Mac McClung is a baller; he’s an NBA Slam Dunk Champion, and he’s also a certified “Hustle Killer.” This man is absolutely unstoppable, especially against this Hustle team. McClung finished the night with 28 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 45% on the evening and doing absolutely anything he wanted to do on the floor. His efforts were far from alone, though, as three out of the five Magic starters finished with 20+ points, and the entire starting five finished positive in (+/-) ratios. Osceola played a solid match from start to finish; there is not much to criticize on their behalf.
The Hustle are looking a lot like their big brother Grizzlies as of late. They can’t manage to keep everyone on the floor regularly; wins are harder to come by; and it’s unfamiliar territory to lose more than you’re winning. The same way it’s not normal from our fan perspective, it’s not normal for them as members of the squad. The Hustle finished the cup last year 11-7, and so far this year we are already 3-7. In all fairness, the Hustle went on to finish the regular season 23-9, which does offer hope for us moving forward post-cup, but the team seemed to be way more cohesive and locked in last season, and this year is filled with growing pains.
G.G. Jackson contributed a 24-point double-double with 11 rebounds on the side, another great showcase from a guy who is only 18 years old, which is still absolutely unreal to me. David Johnson let it fly for 22 of the 30 Hustle bench points. (Spoiler) The bench was composed of only three guys, a testament to how down bad this Hustle team was tonight. The Hustle got outperformed across the board, but you honestly can’t be too disappointed. Jason Preston was out, who has been amazing at the point spot this season, displaying nightly assist clinics and getting himself to the rim at ease; Matthew Hurt is still not back on the hardwood yet, leaving our big situation stretched thin; and then the Grizzlies ongoing issues have a lot of primary Hustle guys currently wearing Beale Street blue. I still have faith that this team is going to get it together and continue to learn how to mesh and grow as a unit; it just takes time.
The Hustle will look to bounce back and break out of the slump on Saturday vs. an underperforming Texas Legends team, which is 2-6 on the season. The game will be live from Frisco, Texas, with a 7:30 p.m. tip time. You can stream the game through the NBA G League’s YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpGf5Nq9cFk