Hustle fall at Birmingham Squadron

The Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ NBA G League affiliate, fell 119-97 to the Birmingham Squadron in the inaugural meeting between the two franchises on Monday.

Jared Harper led all scorers with 23 points (7-13 FG, 5-7 3P), four assists and two rebounds. Jaxson Hayes (17 points, 12 rebounds) and Trey Murphy III (18 points, 11 rebounds) posted double-doubles on assignment from New Orleans. Malcolm Hill added 18 points and Jose Alvarado tallied 15 points, both off the bench.

Cameron Young led Memphis with 20 points (9-18 FG), three rebounds and three assists. Freddie Gillespie posted 14 points and 13 rebounds for his team-leading sixth double-double. David Stockton added 16 points, two rebounds and two assists.

Memphis trailed 86-82 after three quarters before Birmingham scored 20 of the first 24 points in the fourth quarter. Birmingham outscored Memphis 33-15 in the final 12 minutes and extended its lead to as many as 25 points. The Squadron outshot the Hustle 48% to 33% and limited Memphis to 14% from 3-point range in the fourth quarter. 

The Squadron outrebounded the Hustle 56-41 and scored 60 points in the paint. Memphis turned the ball over 21 times and allowed a season-high 27 points off turnovers.

The Hustle shot 7-of-19 from 3-point range in the first half, but were limited to 2-of-13 in the second half.

The Hustle conclude its Showcase Cup schedule tomorrow, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m. in a rematch with Birmingham. Fans unable to attend the game can catch the game on NBAGLeague.com.  

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

DeSoto County News Service – News Release