Birmingham Falls to Cleveland on Thursday Night
Published on January 22, 2026 under NBA G League (G League)
Birmingham Squadron News Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Birmingham Squadron, NBA G League affiliate of the New Orleans Pelicans, fell to the Cleveland Charge, 113-104, in the first of a two-game series on Thursday night.
Cleveland (7-4) came into Birmingham and jumped out to a quick 14-4 lead and held an 11-point advantage with 4:43 remaining in the first quarter. Birmingham (4-12) cut the deficit to four late in the period, but the Charge pushed the lead back up to nine at the end of the opening 12 minutes.
The Squadron found the spark they needed early in the second quarter, opening the period with an 11-0 run inside the first three minutes to take their first lead of the night. The quarter turned into a back-and-forth affair, with Jaden Springer leading Birmingham by scoring 11 of his 15 first half points. However, Cleveland carried a 57-53 lead into the break.
Birmingham took a 71-70 lead within the first five minutes of the third quarter, but Cleveland responded by regaining their advantage and led by as many as seven with 2:16 remaining in the period. Trhae Mitchell trimmed the deficit to three with 17 seconds to go, but Cleveland's Riley Minix buried a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Charge a six-point cushion heading into the fourth.
The hosts looked to rally in the fourth quarter, but Cleveland maintained their lead, going ahead by as many as 13. Trey Alexander scored nine points in the period, but the Charge shot 10-of-19 to close out the night with a 113-104 victory.
Trey Alexander led the Squadron with 23 points, six assists, and five rebounds. The two-way guard also recorded three steals.
The Squadron will face the Cleveland Charge in a rematch on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 6 p.m. The Epilepsy Awareness Night game will be available on My68 and NBAGLeague.com.
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