Down 11 points at halftime, Ignite relied on veteran play and a stalwart defense down the stretch to hold off Memphis in the 2021 G League Season, 104-101, Thursday at AdventHealth Arena.
Jalen Green continued his double-digit streak with 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting.
Memphis was leading 71-59 nearly halfway through the third quarter. Ignite then churned out an 11-0 run from 6:13 to 3:45 to cut the Hustle’s lead to just one point, 71-70. By the end of the quarter, it Ignite had used five three-pointers to outscore the Hustle by eight points, trimming the Memphis lead to 81-78.
Neither team led by more than five points in the final stretch. Tyrell Terry’s driving layup with 35 seconds remaining made it a one-point game in Ignite’s favor, 102-101. With 12.2 seconds remaining and Ignite awarded with an out-of-bounds ball, Memphis issued a coach’s challenge and the call was overturned.
But Ignite’s defense held strong, forcing Memphis to foul. That sent Jarrett Jack to the line to put Ignite up 104-101 with 3.3 seconds on the clock.
Ignite improved to 6-3, while Memphis fell to 3-6 on the year.
Jack scored 13 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, all but sealing Ignite’s victory with that pair of crucial free throws. He was one of seven Ignite players to finish in double figures, along with Jonathan Kuminga (17 points), Brandon Ashley (11), Daishen Nix (11), Isaiah Todd (10), and Bobby Brown (10).
Bennie Boatwright scored 21 points on 7-15 shooting, including 5-13 from downtown, to lead the Hustle. Terry added 19 points, plus 14 from Jontay Porter; 11 from Shaq Buchanan; and 10 from Ahmad Caver.
The Hustle hit 12 three-pointers, including nine in the first half, and blocked nine shots – a season-high by an Ignite opponent. Meanwhile, Jack’s veteran leadership and a total-team defensive effort helped Ignite outscore Memphis 58-44 in the second half.
Ignite continues the week against Salt Lake City on Saturday.
