Hustle rally to force overtime, defeat Blue Coats 132-130

The Memphis Hustle (10-4), the NBA G League affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies, rallied to force overtime and defeated the Delaware Blue Coats (8-5) 132-130 on Friday in the first game of a back-to-back series at Landers Center.

Kenneth Lofton Jr. led the Hustle with 33 points and 15 rebounds, forcing overtime with a putback that tied the game at 125 with 3.1 seconds left in regulation and sinking the winning free throw to help the Hustle hit the target score of 132. It marked the fifth double-double of the season for Lofton Jr., who shot 13-of-15 from the field and a perfect 11-of-11 from inside the 3-point line.

Memphis also got big contributions from rookies Jake LaRavia and Kennedy Chandler, both on assignment from the Grizzlies. LaRavia scored 31 points and set a career high with seven 3-pointers. Chandler totaled 19 points and nine assists, setting up LaRavia for the go-ahead triple that put the Hustle up 131-129 in overtime.

Vince Williams Jr. double-doubled with 15 points and 10 rebounds to go with six assists, while Dakota Mathias added 11 points for Memphis.

Braxton Key recorded 21 points and 14 rebounds off the bench to lead the Blue Coats, who had seven players score in double figures. Jaden Springer and Julian Champagnie both scored 17 points, while Louis King chipped in with 16 points for Delaware, which trailed by as many as 23 points before charging back in the fourth quarter. 

Delaware outscored Memphis 38-20 in the final frame, hitting 8-of-11 from 3-point range after converting just 6-of-29 from beyond the arc in the first three quarters. Jared Brownridge scored all of his 18 points in the fourth period, making 6-of-7 from long range and giving the Blue Coats their first lead of the night, 121-118, with 2:49 left in regulation.

Memphis trailed 125-120 before Chandler made a 3-pointer with 34.7 seconds remaining. Lofton Jr. blocked Key’s jump shot and then rebounded Springer’s miss with 9.2 seconds left. LaRavia misfired on a potential game-tying shot from the baseline, but Lofton Jr. stuck back a layup to put the Hustle into overtime for the sixth time this season (including the Showcase Cup).

The Hustle shot 54.4 percent from the field overall.

Memphis completes its back-to-back with a rematch against Delaware at 7 p.m. CT Saturday, Feb. 4, at Landers Center.

Single-game tickets for all regular season Hustle 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. Additionally, 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 and Instagram (@MemphisHustle) or like Memphis Hustle on Facebook.