Santa Claus paid a visit to Legacy Arena Monday night for the G League showdown between the Birmingham Squadron and Memphis Hustle.
And none of the 1,410 fans in attendance had to learn from ol’ St. Nick who had been bad or good – they saw for themselves.
Jalen Crutcher hit the game winning 3-pointer with 3.6 seconds left – the biggest of his season-high 39 points – and three of his teammates recorded triple-doubles as the New Orleans Pelicans affiliates held off the Memphis Grizzlies’ developmental club, 102-99.
“I just knew I was gonna shoot the shot, no matter what,” Crutcher said. “The way the game was going for me I was hot, so my mindset was just to take the shot at the end.”
It was a wildly entertaining game from wire-to-wire, one that saw T.J. Saint’s Squadron (6-6) take control early, lose its way in the third quarter, and rally at the 11th hour to secure the “W.”
With Memphis (4-9) leading 99-97, Trey Jemison tied the game with a putback, and then a defensive stop gave Birmingham a chance to win it in regulation.
Crutcher made sure they did, drilling his trey from well beyond the arc.
The Hustle had a shot to tie as the clock neared zero, but the ball was off the mark.
“We just found a way to win,” Saint said. “It was super ugly … we were two of 18 (from 3-point range) in the second half, but I’m proud of the guys for fighting through. This was our sixth game in 11 nights, and we found a way.”
Crutcher’s 39 points was the headliner, but Jemison’s 16 points and 13 rebounds, Malcolm Hill’s 16 points and 10 boards, and Izaiah Brockington’s 11 point/11 carom performance was required to seal the deal.
“You guys can see it some on the court, but I see it in film, I see it in group text chats, I see it in practice, I see it in the airport – these guys are one of the most connected teams I’ve ever been a part of. We have 38 games or so to go, and it’s only gonna get tighter.
“I think the future’s really bright, but we’ve got to clean up some attention to detail like every team. But it’s a race, and we’ve got to get better than them.”
GG Jackson led Memphis with 22 points, followed by David Johnson (14), Jason Preston (14), Matt Hurt (13) and Cameron McGriff (11).
The Squadron raced out to a 12-4 lead to start and held a 30-20 lead after one quarter. Crutcher did the bulk of the damage with 16 points – including four-from-four shooting from 3-point range.
He continued to set the pace in the second frame, making another three before finally missing, and ended the half with 21 points.
Despite Crutcher being the only Birmingham player in double figures, the home team went to the locker room with a 53-44 advantage.
The Squadron cooled off in the third quarter and the Hustle found the range, allowing Memphis to take its first lead of the game.
With the score knotted at 66-all, Johnson banged home a 3-pointer at the 2:40 mark to put the visitors in front, 69-66.
When the buzzer sounded, the squad wearing road whites were still ahead, 75-74.
Memphis looked to close things out in the fourth – bagging 10 3-pointers over the final 12 minutes – and led by as many as six points down the stretch.
Instead, it was the Squadron that came up with final score of the game, and it was the one that assured victory.
The ending was especially sweet for Crutcher, who grew up in Memphis.
“It would’ve been even better if I’d done it at Memphis,” Crutcher said, with a laugh. “But it was definitely special because that’s my city and hometown.”
With the win, Birmingham is fifth in the South Pod standings of the Showcase Cup, and is on the outside looking in for a spot in the eight-team Winter Showcase tournament.
Saint sets mark: Tonight’s game against Memphis was the 62nd time Saint had coached the Squadron. That means he has now coached more games than any other person in the history of Birmingham professional basketball.
The previous record holder was Mo McHone, who guided the Birmingham Bandits of the Continental Basketball Association in 1991-92 and compiled a 27-34 mark during the franchise’s lone season in the Magic City.
McHone, incidentally, has strong ties to the G League – originally known as the NBA Developmental League.
He had two different coaching stints with the Sioux Falls Skyforce (and another when the franchise was in the CBA), and was also director of basketball development for the Austin Toros.
OTD in 1947: The Birmingham Vulcans of the Southern Professional Basketball League defeated the Montgomery Rebels, 81-74, in overtime for their fourth consecutive victory.
Shag Hawkins, a former Auburn standout, led the winners with 21 points and his three quick field goals in O.T. secured the win in front of 400 fans at the National Guard Armory.
It was the Rebels’ first loss of the season.
The contest was marred by 56 fouls and when the game ended, Montgomery coach Len Rader charged referee Jack Stanford but the police intervened before any blows landed.
The Rebels featured four players who were part of the Birmingham Skyhawks of the ill-fated Basketball League of America franchise that folded the previous season.
OTD in 1991: The Bandits of the CBA fell to the Fort Wayne Fury, 103-96, for their seventh consecutive loss.
Jim Farmer had a game-high 32 points for the Bandits, who led for three quarters before being overtaken in the final frame.
OTD in 2021: The Squadron topped the Lakeland Magic, 97-88, for its third straight win.
Hill led the winners with 24 points, followed by Jared Harper (19), Joe Young (15) and Zylan Cheatham (14). Cheatham also dominated the glass with 18 rebounds to secure the double-double.
Next up: The Squadron is done with the 2023 portion of its home schedule. Birmingham plays at Osceola on Wednesday and Friday, and then heads to Orlando for the Winter Showcase.
If the Squadron doesn’t qualify for the tourney championship, it will still play two games while in Central Florida.
