Scott Adamson, Author at Adamsonmedia.com

Squadron gets Hustled

**Malcolm Hill (left) and Landers Nolley II talk things over during a timeout in Sunday’s NBA G League game between Birmingham and Memphis.**

The Birmingham Squadron entered Sunday’s Showcase Cup matchup with Memphis at the top of the South Pod standings, while the visiting Hustle was tied for last among the eight-team group.

Once the final horn sounded after 48 minutes at Legacy Arena, Birmingham (4-2) dropped into a first-place tie with Rio Grande Valley, while Memphis (3-5) exited the cellar.

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

The Hustle outscored the Squadron 46-26 in the third quarter and parlayed that surge into a 129-112 victory in front of 1,294 fans.

The teams with the best winning-percentage in each regional pod – as well as the next four teams with the best winning clip regardless of pod – will advance to the single-elimination NBA G League Winter Showcase in Las Vegas December 19-22.

“I personally don’t think I had them ready coming out of halftime,” Birmingham coach T.J. Saint said. “This Memphis team’s record is not indicative of how they’ve actually played. But I don’t think we were ready after halftime, that’s for sure, and that’s on me.

“We’ll be better next time.”

The Hustle opened the third quarter with 11 consecutive points to take a 64-61 lead before Malcolm Hill made a Squadron bucket to break the ice.

But Memphis was relentless, and ended up with a 20-2 spurt that resulted in a 73-63 cushion.

Saint’s crew finally answered with a 10-3 run of their own, and at the 4:08 juncture Dereon Seabron drained a three to make it 83-83.

The Hustle wasn’t done racking up unanswered points, though, and seized a 94-83 lead with 2:13 left in the third and never trailed the rest of the way. When the horn sounded, the Memphis Grizzlies’ affiliates were in charge, 99-87.

After being heavily outscored in the third stanza, the New Orleans Pelicans’ developmental club had plenty of work to do in the fourth.

But the Hustle didn’t stop working, either.

“Momentum is always up for grabs,” Saint said. “We took momentum with like six minutes to go against Texas last game, and they took momentum pretty much in the third quarter. So that’s kind of how that works.”

Memphis’ two leading scorers came off the bench, with David Johnson scoring a game-high 27 points and Cameron McGriff adding 24. Adonis Amis pumped in 18 and Jason Preston recorded a triple double with 16 points, 13 boards and 12 assists as the Hustle placed seven players in double figures.

The winners hit 14 3-pointers and shot 49 percent from the field.

Landers Nolley II had a double-double for the home team, chipping in 25 points and snatching 11 rebounds.

“I’m trying to get better and work on my craft each time out,” Nolley said. “I just go out and trust my teammates, and they put me in good situations.”

Seabron scored 22 points followed by Jalen Crutcher (18), Hill (14), Tevian Jones (12) and Izaiah Brockington (11).

Both teams had shooting woes early in the first quarter, but Birmingham managed to go on a 7-0 run at the 3:35 mark to take an 18-11 lead.

Shots began falling on both ends of the court after that, however, and when the first frame ended the game was knotted at 30-all.

In the second quarter the Squadron led by as many as 11 – 59-48 – but settled for a 61-53 advantage at intermission.

Nolley was already nearing a double-double for the hosts with 17 points and eight rebounds, and Birmingham had outscored Memphis 16-7 in fastbreak points.

Save the date: Today’s meeting with Memphis marked the third consecutive season the Squadron has played a game on November 26 – and all of them have been losses.

In its inaugural campaign in the Ham (2021-22), Birmingham fell to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on the road, 112-105.

Last season in the friendly confines, the Squadron dropped a 111-98 decision to the Austin Spurs.

Launching pad: How much talent is in the G League?

A lot.

When the 2023-24 NBA season began, 50 percent of the players on opening night rosters had G League experience, up three percent from the year before.

At least 30 G League prospects have been called up to the NBA in each of the last nine seasons.

Teamwork: Over the Thanksgiving holiday the Squadron teamed up with other Birmingham pro teams – the Barons, Legion, Bulls and Stallions – to help combat hunger. The “BHM 5” collected food and delivered it to the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, ultimately donating 753 pounds of food which will provide over 630 meals to the community.

“Giving back to the community that supports us is paramount to who we are as a team,” Squadron general manager Leslie Claybrook said. “Partnering with the other local professional sports teams is something special to us as we continue to build here in the Magic City.”

Next up: The Squadron begins a three-game road trip on Friday, December 1, 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.

The Squadron will be at the Paycom Center on December 3 and December 5 to tangle with the Oklahoma City Blue.

Birmingham’s next home game is December 8 against Rio Grande Valley. That will be part of Stem Fest (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), and will tip-off at 11:30 a.m.

Holiday tradition

Micah and Sherri sat across from the coffee table – as they always did this time of year – and peered into the bowl.

Inside it were five small, folded pieces of paper.

Sherri held a quarter.

“OK,’ she said. “You call it in the air.”

She launched the coin with her thumb, and as it fluttered end-over-end Micha shouted, “Heads!”

The quarter landed on top of Sherri’s left hand, she covered it, and then took a peek.

“Heads it is,” she said. “You get to pick.”

Micah carefully eyed the bowl, stirred the paper slightly with his right index finger, pulled out a piece, and then unfolded it.

He let out a long sigh.

“Show it to me,” Sherri said, smiling.

He handed it over and revealed the word scribbled in pen, “illness.”

Sherri shrugged.

“What’s wrong with that?” she asked. “That’s perfect, actually.”

Micah rolled his eyes.

“That’s the one we used last year,” he said. “I told my family I had food poisoning, and you told yours you had the flu. It’d be a little too convenient if we did that again.”

Sherri disagreed.

“Not at all,” she said. “It is the cold and flu season – November is always the cold and flu season. And food poisoning? It can happen any time, any place. Ever heard of gas station sushi? Really, this is the best excuse of all of them. It’s sure as heck better than the one I drew two years ago.”

It was 2021 when Sherri won the toss and picked a piece of paper with the word “car trouble.”

“We could’ve made the car trouble excuse work,” she said. “But somebody screwed that up royally, didn’t they?”

Micah grimaced.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah … I should’ve said we had car trouble in North Dakota or some place like that,” he said. “I never thought Uncle Lou would drive over and pick us up.”

“Oh, but he did,” Sherri said, wagging her finger at Micah. “And the man always smells like roasted broccoli. I used to love roasted broccoli until I got a whiff of your uncle.”

Micah chuckled.

“I think you’re being kind,” he said. “There’s the smell of roasted broccoli, and then there’s the smell of the flatulence that follows the consumption of roasted broccoli. I’m pretty sure Uncle Lou had let a few rip before he picked us up.

“The best part, though, was sitting in the corner of the kitchen and watching Aunt Eunice toss back those deviled eggs. It was gross, but in an artful kind of way.”

The couple called their annual ritual the “Introvert Society Thanksgiving Day Charade.” Knowing they would be invited to several different holiday gatherings – and knowing they were both painfully shy and got nervous in large crowds – they would draw from the “Excuse Bowl” to come up with a ruse.

They loved their families and treasured their friends, and it’s not that they wanted to lie – it’s just they’d rather lie than leave the house and dive into a sea of humanity.

They had done the paper draw for more than 10 years, and the five excuses were “illness,” “work,” “argument,” “car trouble” and “Federal Witness Protection Program.”

The last one was a joke.

Maybe.

“I can’t believe that over an entire decade we’ve never picked WITSEC,” Sherri mused. “That would be awesome. New names, new jobs … new lives in a new location. Of course, after a while we’d probably make new friends, and they’d invite us over for the holidays.

“The wheels on the bus go round and round, I suppose.”

Micah reached for his cellphone.

“So, why don’t I call my family and tell them I have the flu, and you can call yours and say you have food poisoning,” Micah said. “No, wait … maybe mix it up and say you have strep throat.”

Sheri walked over to Micah and gave him a big hug.

“I love you,” she said. “You, me, our three cats, one goldfish, in the den, eating a pizza from the freezer and watching Planes, Trains and Automobiles – just like every year. “It’s my favorite Thanksgiving tradition.”

Squadron wins wild one

**Dereon Seabron (left), Jelly Walker (center) and Izaiah Brockington chase after a loose ball during Tuesday’s G League Showcase Cup game at Legacy Arena.**

The G League is a developmental circuit for the NBA, but Tuesday night at Legacy Arena the clash between the Birmingham Squadron and Texas Legends seemed more like a throwback to the late, great American Basketball Association.

Played at a dizzying pace and featuring 38 3-pointers, 96 points in the paint, 18 lead changes and some hot tempers that resulted in three technical fouls, Birmingham took a 134-121 victory in front of 1,389 fans.

The win improves the New Orleans Pelicans’ affiliate to 4-1 in the Showcase Cup standings, while the Dallas Mavericks’ farmhands slip to 2-3.

Two-way guard Dereon Seabron had a phenomenal performance in the win, netting a career-high 37 points and dishing out 11 assists to secure the double-double. It was the second most points ever scored by a Squadron player in a single game.

“I feel like I was due for it,” Seabron said. “That first game (on Sunday) I had to get used to playing with new players because I’d been in New Orleans since the summertime, and I had to adjust to everybody’s playing style and what spots they wanted to be in.”

Malcolm Hill also had a big night for the winners with 24 points, followed by Izaiah Brockington (17), Landers Nolley (16), Devin Cannady (14) and Jalen Crutcher (13).

“Dereon’s a very unique player,” Birmingham coach T.J. Saint said. “His IQ is really high, he’s very quick, he’s powerful. And over the last year since I’ve had him, his development and decision making is just way better. He’s a special dude. I think he can earn an NBA contract.”

Greg Brown III led Texas with 26 points and got plenty of help from former UAB standout Jelly Walker, who finished with 20 points.

Dexter Dennis contributed 17 points, A.J. Lawson added 16, Juston Jackson scored 14, Theo Pinson had 12 and Joe Wieskamp closed out double-figure Legends with 10.

Brown had seven 3-pointers before finally cooling off.

Leading by just six entering the fourth quarter, Birmingham asserted itself with solid defense and dead-eye shooting.

The Squadron moved in front 122-109 with under six minutes remaining and – with the Legends finally misfiring from beyond the arc – hung on for the victory.

“There’s a lot of talent on the floor,” Saint said. “Brown, and A.J. Lawson’s played a lot of games. And they’re really good and very talented, and they’re not even all the way healthy.

“And I think our guys are gonna get even better throughout the year. I hope the fans keep coming. They’ll see some good basketball.”

UAB product Trey Jemison opened the game with a dunk and Walker followed with the Legends’ first bucket, setting the tone for a frenetic first quarter.

Jemison picked up his second foul four minutes in – forcing him to the bench early – but hot shooting from Seabron and Nolley helped negate the size disadvantage.

Cannady and Brockington came through with some timely 3-pointers, and Birmingham led 37-33 after one.

Brown and Walker continued to have a hot hand for Texas in the second stanza, allowing Jordan Sears’ charges to quickly erase the deficit and move in front 65-59 with 3:06 to go before halftime.

But Birmingham reeled off three straight buckets to tie the game at 65-all with 1:22 on the clock.

Taze Moore scored a putback for Texas to put the Legends back on top but a Hill trey – as well as a pair of free throws and a technical foul shot – gave the Squadron a 71-67 edge in the waning moments.

Brown, however, beat the buzzer with his fourth 3-pointer of the first half and cut the Birmingham lead to 71-70 with 24 minutes still to play.

After the teams combined for 25 3-pointers over the first two quarters, it was more of the same in the third.

When Birmingham and Texas weren’t dropping it in from long range, they were racking up points in transition. The result was another frenzied period, and when the horn sounded the home team was clinging to a 104-98 lead.

In the final 12 minutes, the hosts were finally able to put some distance between themselves and the visitors.

Birmingham won the rebounding battle, 45-43, and had just 12 turnovers to 19 for Texas.

“There’s something new we’re doing this year,” Saint said. “There’s offense, there’s defense and we have a third thing called ‘crashense.’ So, we’re sending four to the glass no matter what. It’s something (assistant coach) Joe Barrer, who was the head coach in Lakeland for the last two years, did, and something that I really liked.”

Trey vs. Jelly, Part 2: Jemison dealt with foul trouble and was limited to eight rebounds and six points.

Walker’s 20 points included six from 3-point range, and he also had eight assists.

The two-game set in Birmingham is the last scheduled meeting between the two teams this season – and the two former Blazers.

Making history: With the Squadron’s third season underway, head coach T.J. Saint has already entered the record book.

How?

Well, in the annals of Birmingham pro basketball, he is the first coach to lead a Magic City-branded team into action to start two consecutive seasons.

Of course, it helps that the G League team has survived more than one campaign – a feat no other local pro hoop franchise accomplished.

In 1947, Fred Lewis logged a 17-5 record as coach of the Birmingham Skyhawks of the Professional Basketball League of America. That circuit folded before finishing its first and last season.

The Birmingham Vulcans (1947-48) of the Southern Professional Basketball League went through three coaches – Wheeler Fleming (13-13) to start, then Cherry Foster (5-8) and finally Jim Price (7-7), the team owner who served out the year as coach.

The Vulcans folded but in 1948 the Birmingham Steelers joined the SPBL, and head coach Ben Chapman was 8-2 before leaving the team. (Chapman was better known as an all-star baseball player for the New York Yankees and later manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. He disgraced himself by shouting racist slurs at Jackie Robinson during the 1947 season, and was ultimately fired by the National League club).

Price was owner of the Vulcans as well, and again took the coaching reigns to finish out the one-and-done season, going 14-11.

Jump to 1991 and the Birmingham Bandits of the Continental Basketball Association; Mo McHone was 27-34.

And Ryan Pannone held the top job when the Squadron came to Birmingham in 2021-22, leading the club to a 27-20 record.

Saint’s first team was 17-33 overall and he is off to a 4-1 start in 2023-24.

Next up: Birmingham hosts the Memphis Hustle on Sunday at 3 p.m. The theme is “Commander’s Birthday,” and the first 1,000 fans will receive a stuffed animal version of the team mascot.