Squadron tops Vipers

Birmingham’s Malcolm Hill (33) and Rio Grande Valley’s Amen Thompson get ready for the start of the third quarter in Friday’s G League clash at Legacy Arena.

With just five games remaining in the Showcase Cup portion of the 2023-24 schedule, the Birmingham Squadron is running out of chances to qualify for the Winter Showcase.

During a matinee on Friday at Legacy Arena, however, the New Orleans Pelicans’ G League affiliates got back in the hunt.

Scott Adamson writes stuff. Follow him on Threads @sladamson1960 and Adamsonmedia on Facebook.

Malcolm Hill lit it up for a career-high 33 points and Tevian Jones contributed a double-double (16 points, 12 rebounds) as Birmingham snapped a four-game losing skid with a 109-90 victory over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

“We shot it pretty well from (3-point range), and we didn’t turn it over, which was huge,” Squadron boss T.J. Saint said. “Malcolm is who Malcolm is … one of the best vets I’ve ever been around. And Tevian is growing. He comes in every day, puts in the work, doesn’t complain, and he’s been like that since summer league. He’s got a bright, bright future.”

Saint’s team evens its record at 5-5 while the Houston Rockets farm club stands at 6-5.

Both teams are in the South Pod of the Showcase Cup and trail Mexico City and Osceola (7-4) and Oklahoma City (7-5) in the standings.

Izaiah Brockington netted 17 points for the winners, followed by Devin Cannady (15) and Jalen Crutcher (14).

UAB product Trey Jemison just missed a double-double with eight points and 16 rebounds.

“He’s a monster,” Saint said of Jemison, who also had five blocked shots. “We don’t win if he’s not here.”

Rockets assignment player Cam Whitmore was the top scorer for the Vipers, with Amen Thompson and Darius Days each scoring 14, Jermaine Samuels Jr. adding 12 and Jarrett Culver pumping in 10.

Although the Vipers outscored the Squadron 34-16 in the paint over the game’s first 24 minutes (and 64-38 overall), timely outside shooting helped make up the difference.

The score was knotted at 26-all after one – Hill already had seven points – and he added seven more in the second period to lead all scorers with 17 points.

Jones was flirting with a double-double by halftime (10 points, eight boards), and Jemison’s slam with :44 left in the quarter gave Birmingham a 50-49 edge at intermission.

The Squadron led by as many as 10 in the third quarter and looked poised to take control of the contest. However, the home team’s shooting cooled off and Rio Grande Valley continued to force the issue on the inside, and trailed only 82-79 entering the final stanza.

But Birmingham found its long-range groove again in the fourth and the Vipers – trying to make up ground from outside the arc – continued to miss the mark.

The hosts led 96-85 with 4:35 remaining and kept adding to their advantage from there, settling for a solid 19-point victory.

“We held the top scoring team in the league to 90 points,” Saint said. “I’m really proud of that.”

Hill said he just tried to play his game, and wasn’t worried about the losing streak or the Showcase Cup standings.

“It’s such a long season, almost every team goes through a losing skid,” Hill said. “Honestly, a lot of our losses were close games, and the start of the season we were winning those close games. The big thing for us is just staying consistent with what we do. I didn’t look to play hero ball or anything, we just want to find golden nuggets – things we can take from games even if we lose.

“It’s tough to learn from wins, so we took the opportunity to learn from our losses.”

What a start: Thompson, the No. 4 pick overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, made his G League debut on December 6 and did not disappoint.

The 6-7 rookie had a triple-double – 29 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists – in a 128-126 loss to Oklahoma City.

Thompson missed five weeks with a high ankle sprain before the Rockets assigned him to the G League for rehab.

STEM Fest: The theme for today’s game was STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), and kids from throughout the Birmingham area were at Legacy Arena to get hands-on demonstrations – and watch professional basketball.

The youngsters helped the Squadron draw 2,024 and created a great (and very loud) atmosphere.

OTD in 1947: The Birmingham Vulcans of the Southern Professional Basketball League defeated the Memphis Legionnaires, 62-43.

Player-coach Wheeler Flemming led the charge with 19 points, followed by Bobby O’Brien (15), Manuel Dorsky (11) and Bubba Bell (11).

The Vulcans never trailed and their starting lineup played from wire-to-wire.

OTD in 1948: The Birmingham Steelers of the SPBL defeated the Laurel Oilers, 63-61 to improve their record to 4-0.

Bob Murphy tallied 19 points for the winners.

OTD in 1991: The Birmingham Bandits of the Continental Basketball Association fell to the Oklahoma City Calvary, 106-102, for their fifth consecutive loss.

Jim Farmer was a bright spot for the Bandits, scoring 28 points. Marvin Alexander had a double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds) in a losing effort.

OTD in 2022: The Squadron lost to the Memphis Hustle, 114-109, at Legacy Arena. Kenny Loftin led the winners with a game-high 24 points.

Kelan Martin paced Birmingham with 21 points while both Zylan Cheatham and James Kelly Sr. added 20 apiece.

The Squadron fell to 6-12 with the loss.

Next up: The Squadron and Vipers are back at it on Saturday at Legacy Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Unwinding with Krampus

“Bertha … I’m home.”

Krampus hung his chains and bells on the hook by the front door, eased off his tattered, scarlet-colored cloak – unceremoniously tossing it on the small chair by the closet – and clopped over to his plush brown recliner in the den. He plunked down with enough force to make the floor shake.

Scott Adamson writes stuff. Follow him on Threads @sladamson1960 and Adamsonmedia on Facebook.

“Man,” he whined. “My hooves are killing me and my tail’s been itching all day. I’m getting a bit long in the fang for this crap.”

Bertha walked into the room with a cup of coffee in one hand and a Yoo-hoo in  the other.

“Figured you had a long day and night, so I didn’t know which one you wanted,” she said. “I’m good with either one, so you pick.”

Krampus smiled and reached for the Yoo-hoo.

“Thanks, Pookie,” he said, giving her a wink. “Nothing hits the spot like watery chocolate.”

Another Krampusnacht was in the books, which means yet another year he had to play the adversarial role in his and St. Nicholas’ “good cop/bad cop” routine.

“Man, times have changed,” he said. “I remember back in the day chasing those little ruffians through the streets with my sticks and watching them run and scream, trying to get away. Then I’d give them coal … which came in pretty handy during cold winter nights – people tend to forget that. Nowadays I just download Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas to their phones and my work is mostly done. Plus, half of them don’t even know I’m Krampus – they see my tongue and think I’m Gene Simmons.

“It gets frustrating, but that’s the job, and that’s what they expect.”

The ”job” had started centuries earlier, when – each December 5 – St. Nick would treat all the “good kids” to nuts and fruits while Krampus denied bad boys and girls tasty treats and, instead, threatened them with branches.

Yet like most stories which had been told over and over throughout the ages, truth and myth had become intertwined.

In reality, Krampus and St. Nicholas were actually friends and helped each other out during the holidays. Long before St. Nick had gone global with his business and hired an all-elf workforce, Krampus assisted in building and delivering toys.

In turn, St. Nick would occasionally make appearances as Krampus when his buddy needed a day off for dental procedures.

One thing that never changed? St. Nick was always the hero and Krampus, the villain.

“Hey Bertha, do you remember back when people claimed I’d grab kids, put ‘em in a sack, and then carry ‘em off so I could eat ‘em?” he said. “Those were some sick puppies, man. I mean, I’d never eat a kid, but even if I wanted to, I have no idea how you’d cook one.”

Bertha nodded.

“You bet I remember,” she said. “What was it … the 1880s, 1890s? You got called into HR because that man in Liechtenstein said he saw you roasting a kid on a spit.”

Krampus bleated.

“What a dumbass,” he said, shaking his head. “Dude was drunk, saw me sitting by a fire cooking apples, and then jumped to one helluva conclusion. What kinda world do we live in where a half-demon, half-goat can’t just go camping in peace? I’ll never understand humanoids.”

Bertha moved closer and gave him a kiss on his left horn.

“You have a tough job, K,” she said. “It’s like being a heel wrestler. Every time you step into the ring against a babyface, people are gonna start booing. Believe me, I know.”

Now a professional wrestler working independent circuits throughout the Alps, Bertha – aka Frau Perchta (her given name) and Candy Crone (her grappling moniker) – started a consulting business shortly after she began dating Krampus. Frau Perchta’s profession involved making sure homes were kept in order and up to code during the holiday season, and all was well until one of her clients filed a police report after claiming she stole a loom and threatened to stab her.

It was all a lie, but before Bertha could get ahead of the story, she was branded a “Terrifying Christmas Witch” and forced to monitor low budget hotels from late December through early January.

“One day you’re issuing citations in the suburbs,” she would say, “and the next you’re accused of disemboweling homeowners and replacing their guts with pebbles and straw.”

Still, Krampus and Bertha had forged a happy life together, despite all the misconceptions about who they were and what they did.

He had to work less than a month out of each year, allowing him to spend plenty of time filing his teeth, trimming his hooves and eating tin cans, which was his passion.

Bertha’s wrestling duties were more extensive, but she enjoyed the work and reveled in the notoriety. Her glowing eyes and long, beaked nose intimidated opponents and referees alike, and her diving double axe handle maneuver always electrified the crowd, especially during pay-per-view events.

Still, during the festive season, both Krampus and Frau Perchta had appearances to keep up. And since it was December 6, the ol’ Bovidae Devil had one more task ahead of him.

“It’s the Feast of St. Nicholas, so I’m gonna catch a few winks and then head over to Nick’s place,” Krampus said. “I told him I’d make some deviled eggs and help him set up the badminton net. You should join me.”

Bertha patted Krampus on his knee and headed back toward the kitchen.

“Nah, I can’t,” she said. “I’ve got a match against Darlene the Destroyer tonight – it’s the main event, and I need to get to the arena early so we can rehearse. But if you think about it, bring me back a piece of cake.”

Krampus finished off the rest of his Yoo-hoo, leaned back, and belched.

“Will do, hon,” he said. “If I see anybody trying to get that last piece I’ll just threaten ‘em with All I Want For Christmas.

“I gotta be honest, though … I kinda like that song.”

Squadron takes road trip

Every player suited up for the Birmingham Squadron hopes to land a full-time gig with the parent club – the New Orleans Pelicans – or another NBA team.

But the immediate goal of any competitor is to win games, and right now the G League squad sits at 4-2 in the Showcase Cup standings and in second place behind the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the South Pod.

Scott Adamson writes stuff. Follow him on Threads @sladamson1960 and Adamsonmedia on Facebook.

With the four pod winners and next four teams with the best record advancing to the money round at the Winter Showcase, showing up and showing off over the remaining 10 Cup games is extremely important to Birmingham players.

“Of course it is,” guard Jalen Crutcher said following a spirited Wednesday practice at Legacy Arena. “You know, $100,000 is split up among the players on the team that wins the tournament, so we’re going out every game playing as hard as we can and trying to win.”

The Squadron embarks on a three-game road trip starting Friday when they take on Austin at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, Texas.

Birmingham opened the 2023-24 season with a 130-90 rout of the Spurs in a Showcase Cup matchup.

Birmingham will be at the Paycom Center on December 3 and December 5 to tangle with the Oklahoma City Blue before returning home on December 8 against Rio Grande Valley.

The 4-2 mark is the best since the franchise came to the Magic City in 2021.

Coach T.J. Saint says he’s excited about taking the show on the road.

“Last year we went 3-0 on our first long road trip, so we’re trying to do that again,” Saint said. “And to Jason’s point about the money round, it’s already started. We have to have great preparation to take on really good teams, and the guys know what’s at stake. I think maybe at the moment we’re technically out of the top eight, but we have a lot of control over how we finish, and we’ve just got to be detailed and focused going forward to be in a better position to finish in the top eight.”

Two-way player Dereon Seabron leads the team in points per game (24.7) and minutes played (37.3), while Landers Nolley II has stepped up for 19.5 points and nine rebounds per outing.

Seabron was the breakout star for Birmingham in 2022-23 and continues to shine, but Nolley is certainly making his presence known.

“Landers is one of the most cerebral guys at any level I’ve ever coached,” Saint explained. “He’s a sniper who can really shoot it. His passing ability is different, especially in his size position. And the thing that you don’t see if you’re not at practice are the little things. He’s always telling guys and reminding guys what to do and what’s coming.

“As we get going more, we see that he’s a very, very dynamic and interesting player who I believe can play in the NBA.”

Malcolm Hill averages 17.5 points, followed by Crutcher (16), Izaiah Brockington (12.2) and Tevian Jones (11).

UAB product Trey Jemison scores seven points per night to go with 9.3 boards and the Squadron ranks third in the league in rebounds per game with 50.8.

“I think there has been a total alignment with the Pelicans’ front office, the Squadron’s front office, myself, coaches and players,” Saint said. “They’re super high-character guys. We have future NBA players – several I think – on our team, and we’ve really honed in on that character piece.

“We took a hard loss last game (129-112 to Memphis), but we’ve had some good film sessions and good practices. I’m excited to go to Austin.”

Tip-off for Friday’s game is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast locally on My68 as well as the NBA G League Channel on Tubi.

New addition: With Devin Cannady participating in the 3×3 AmeriCup competition through December 3, the Squadron signed center Daniel Giddens from the available player pool. The 6-11, 240-pound center has played professionally in Japan and Switzerland, and had college stops at Ohio State, Alabama and Vermont.

He comes to Birmingham as a roster hardship exception.

“He’ll be able to spell Trey when we don’t want to go small,” Saint said. “He gives us another option during a game.”

Season within a season: Once the Showcase Cup is done, all G League teams’ record will be wiped clean and a traditional regular season will begin on December 27.

Crutcher likes the format – sort of.

“I mean, if you have a bad start to the season, you get to start over,” he said. “But if you’re doing good and have a good record, you’d kinda like to keep adding to it. But overall, I think it’s pretty good to have a Showcase season and then a regular season.”