Hustle comeback comes up short against Salt Lake City

Memphis, Tenn. – The Memphis Hustle (12-14), the NBA G League affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies, were defeated 121-119 by the Salt Lake City Stars (17-11) to conclude a four-game home stand at Landers Center. 

David Johnson paced the Hustle with 27 points and six rebounds off the bench. DJ Steward contributed 17 points and seven assists. Yuki Kawamura registered 16 points and 15 assists. Nate Hinton totaled 14 points, 12 rebounds and four steals. Malachi Smith tallied 11 points, six rebounds and five assists. 

Elijah Harkless led the Stars scoring 44 points. Max Abmas added 17 points off the bench. Micah Potter registered 16 points and 12 rebounds.  

After trailing by as many as 12 in the third quarter, Memphis went on a 25-13 run to tie the game at 95 with 8:33 remaining. With the teams tied at 119 in the closing seconds, Potter hit a pair of free throws to give Salt Lake City the lead. Steward’s floater at the buzzer came up short as the Stars held on for the win.  

The Hustle scored 48 points in the paint and 27 fast break points. Memphis assisted on 37 of 45 made field goals. The Stars shot 44.4 percent from beyond the arc, making 20 3-pointers. Salt Lake City scored 29 second chance points. 

The Hustle tip-off a five-game road trip on Thursday, March 13, against the Long Island Nets at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, Canada.  

Single game tickets for all regular season Hustle games are on sale now. Tickets start as low as $15 and are available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com or by calling (901) 888-HOOP. In addition, all-inclusive floor seats and tables are still available for purchase, and the Hustle are accepting $50 deposits for groups of 10-or-more.  

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