Hustle continue undefeated start with overtime win over Legends
By Memphis Hustle Staff /January 9, 2023
Southaven, Miss. – The Memphis Hustle, the NBA G League affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies, continued their undefeated start to the regular season (5-0) with a 119-114 overtime win over the Texas Legends (2-4) Sunday at Comerica Center in Frisco, Tex. The Hustle swept the two-game road back-to-back with the Legends following a 118-105 win on Saturday.
The Hustle have won 11 of their last 12 games overall dating back to the 2022 Showcase Cup.
Jake LaRavia and Kenneth Lofton Jr. both scored 25 points to lead the Hustle, which became the fifth team thus far to start the season 5-0 or better. Dakota Mathias added 14 points. Justin Bean posted a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds, while Matt Hurt chipped in with 12 points off the bench.
Memphis assisted on 34 of its 41 field goals with Jacob Gilyard providing 10 dimes.
Tyler Dorsey led the Legends with 30 points off the bench, including 22 in the second half, and Yudai Baba scored 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter to help the Legends come from 15 points down to force overtime. Texas, which dressed only eight players, had all five starters score in double figures.
The Hustle outscored the Legends 34-25 in the second quarter to take a 64-58 advantage at halftime. Memphis extended its lead to 89-74 with 1:52 left in the third quarter and led by 14 entering the fourth period. Down by 10 with 4:50 remaining, Texas closed regulation on a 14-4 run with Dorsey tying the game at 112 with 7.7 seconds remaining.
Texas outscored Memphis 33-19 in the fourth quarter, shooting 12-of-23 from the field and holding the Hustle to 5-of-21 shooting.
Memphis quickly regained its footing in overtime, hitting 2-of-3 from the field and scoring seven points to reach the target score of 119. LaRavia made the go-ahead 3-pointer to give the Hustle a 117-114 lead, and Lofton Jr. made the game-winning free throws on the next possession.
The Hustle will next play the Wisconsin Herd on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at Oshkosh Arena.
Single-game tickets for Hustle regular season games are on sale now. Tickets start as low as $14 and are available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com/Memphis-Hustle-Tickets or by calling (901) 888-HOOP. In addition, all-inclusive floor seats and tables are 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 and Instagram (@MemphisHustle) or like Memphis Hustle on Facebook.