South Bay Loses a Heartbreaker

The Memphis Hustle, the NBA G League affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies, improved to 2-0 in the regular season in dramatic fashion with a 118-117 come-from-behind victory over the South Bay Lakers (0-2) Friday at Landers Center. Memphis swept the back-to-back home series with South Bay.

Kennedy Chander, on assignment from the Grizzlies, led the Hustle with 29 points. Dakota Mathias added 22 points and made all three of his free throws after drawing a foul on a potential go-ahead 3-point attempt with 0.2 seconds remaining. Vince Williams Jr. double-doubled with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Scotty Pippen Jr. led South Bay in scoring for the second straight game with 29 points off the bench before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. Jay Huff posted 18 points and 14 rebounds, while Cole Swider (14 points) and Max Christie (13 points) both scored in double figures off the bench.

South Bay led 115-111 following Pippen Jr.’s layup with 33.0 seconds remaining, but Chandler drew Pippen Jr.’s sixth foul on the ensuing possession and made two free throws to cut the margin to two. Jake LaRavia then stole a pass and got the ball to Xavier Tillman Sr., who made two more free throws to tie the game with 14.0 seconds remaining.

Christie’s fadeaway jumper gave the Lakers a two-point lead with 3.3 seconds left, but Mathias drew a foul on Devin Cannady while attempting a potential go-ahead 3-pointer and sank all three free throws to put Memphis up one. Tillman Sr. deflected the Lakers’ inbounds lob attempt to seal the win.

The game featured 19 lead changes and 14 ties, and neither team led by more than five points in the fourth quarter. Neither team won a single quarter by more than two points.