San Diego Clippers Stop Hustle To Open Series
Key Points
- Clutch Shooting: John Poulakidas led the San Diego Clippers with 22 points, including a sharp 75 percent shooting performance from beyond the arc.
- Interior Battle: While the Memphis Hustle outscored the Clippers 50 to 44 in the paint, San Diego’s superior 3-point efficiency proved to be the deciding factor.
- Late Ejections: A physical contest ended with the fourth-quarter ejections of San Diego’s Zach Freemantle and Memphis’s Evan Gilyard following a double technical foul with eight seconds remaining.
SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — Behind a barrage of 3-point field goals and a dominant bench performance, the San Diego Clippers defeated the Memphis Hustle 116-105 at the Landers Center on Friday night. The victory pushed the Clippers to a 9-11 record, while the Hustle dropped to 3-14 on the season.
Poulakidas and House Power the Clipper Offense
San Diego’s offensive engine was fueled by John Poulakidas, who finished with 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Poulakidas was nearly automatic from distance, converting 6-of-8 attempts for a 75 percent success rate from 3-point range.
The Clippers’ reserves also played a pivotal role, outscoring the Memphis bench. Jaelen House provided a game-high 26 points in 31 minutes, shooting 53.8 percent from the floor. Cam Reddish anchored the second unit with a double-double, recording 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Memphis Battles Back
The Hustle remained competitive all night attacking the rim, eventually leading the Clippers in points in the paint 50 to 44. Tyler Burton led Memphis with 20 points, while Pierre Crockrell II facilitated the offense with seven assists to go along with 10 points.
Despite the interior effort, Memphis struggled to find consistency from the perimeter, shooting only 32.5 percent from behind the arc. The Hustle managed to match San Diego’s 30 points in both the second and fourth quarters, but they were unable to erase a deficit that reached as high as 16 points.
Tensions Boil Over
The game’s intensity peaked in the final moments. With just 8.7 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, officials assessed double technical fouls to San Diego’s Zach Freemantle and Memphis’s Evan Gilyard. Both players were subsequently ejected from the contest.
Freemantle left the game with 12 points and nine rebounds, while Gilyard contributed 10 points and six assists before his removal.
San Diego finished the game shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from 3-point range. Memphis connected on 42.9 percent of their total shots.
