Hustle dropped with last second shot by Raptors 905

The Memphis Hustle fell 119-117 to Raptors 905 in the NBA G League bubble on Monday night. Raptors 905 center Henry Ellenson connected on a jump-shot shot with 1.8 seconds to play that proved to be the difference in the game.

Memphis struggled to slow down Raptors 905 early in the game, allowing 37 points on 54.2 percent shooting in the opening period. Nik Stauskas got things going in the first quarter with 13 of his 27 points in the first quarter alone to help Raptors 905 grab a 37-24 lead heading into the second. The Hustle responded with their best quarter of the night, thanks to Ahmad Caver, who scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the second quarter. Caver and Bennie Boatwright combined for six 3-pointers in the quarter to trim 905’s lead to 72-63 heading into the halftime break. Raptors 905 dominated the painted area in the first half out-scoring the Hustle 36-18 in points in the paint.

The Hustle trailed 89-78 with 4:04 to play in the third quarter following a 3-pointer from Ellenson that stretched their lead back to 11 points. Following the basket from Ellenson, Memphis ripped off a 14-4 run to close the quarter, trimming the lead to just one point at 93-92. Both teams traded baskets throughout the fourth quarter as the game was still in the balance heading into the final minute. Boatwright connected on a 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds remaining in the game to give Memphis a 117-116 advantage. However, on the following possession, Ellenson drained a basket on the other end, while also drawing a foul, with 1.8 seconds remaining. His free-throw gave Raptors 905 a 119-117 lead. Memphis had one last possession, but Matt Mooney stripped the ball from David Stockton just before time expired to end Memphis’ hope of a comeback bid.

Boatwright finished with a team-high tying and career-high 26 points (10-18 FG, 6-12 3P) to go with seven rebounds in 31 minutes. Tyrell Terry also posted 26 points (9-18 FG), three rebounds, three assists and three steals in a team-high 36 minutes. Caver scored 24 points while adding six rebounds and four assists off the bench for Memphis. Freddie Gillespie posted a double-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and one steal as the Hustle fell to 3-5.

Ellenson posted a game-high 27 points, 11 rebounds and four assists to lead Raptors 905. Stauskas totaled 27 points, seven rebounds and seven assists on 8-of-15 shooting. Gary Payton II added 18 points, three rebounds and one assist. Mooney finished with 15 points, eight assists and two steals to help Raptors 905 to 5-3. 

The Hustle return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 24, against NBA G League Ignite at 2 p.m. CT inside AdventHealth Arena. Fans can watch the game on ESPN2.

For more information on the Memphis Hustle, visit www.memphishustle.com, follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@MemphisHustle) or like Memphis Hustle on Facebook.

Box score: https://gleague.nba.com/games/20210222/MHURAP/ 

Memphis Hustle news release