Game Preview: Skyforce at Hustle
March 18, 2024 - NBA G League (G League)
Sioux Falls Skyforce News Release
The Sioux Falls Skyforce plays the Memphis Hustle for the team's final road contest of the season after spending a week at home and going 2-2 on a four-game home stand.
Sioux Falls defeated the College Park Skyhawks on Sunday, in the teams first ever meeting 96-91 on Sunday afternoon from the Sanford Pentagon. It helped keep the Skyforce firm in the second seed in the Western Conference playoff standings, just a game back from the Stockton Kings, whom Sioux Falls finishes the regular season with at the end of March.
HEAT two-way player Cole Swider led the Skyforce with 20 points, 13 rebounds and three assists, while fellow two-way player Alondes Williams added 17 points, two rebounds and six assists. Caleb Daniels contributed 16 points on 6-8 FGA and eight rebounds, while Isaih Moore posted 14 points and five points off the bench.
The Hustle comes into the contest currently on a five-game losing streak after being swept by the Oklahoma City Blue over the weekend and 126-116 in the series finale on Sunday. Adonis Arms has led the team in scoring in the last three games, with 20+ points in all three games, as well as 8+ rebounds and 4+ assists in two-of-three.
A win tonight would give the Skyforce the season series sweep over the Hustle for the second consecutive season. Sioux Falls won the first contest 114-109 behind 69 combined points from Malik Williams, Swider and Alondes Williams. Bryson Warren added 16 points off the bench, as well.
The Skyforce returns home for the final two weeks of the season, with weekend tilts against the Cleveland Charge (13-15) on Saturday and Sunday, followed by two more against the Kings (20-9) on Mar. 29-30.
KP'S CLIMBING THE RANKS
- Sioux Falls Skyforce head coach Kasib Powell has secured 76 wins in his three seasons at the helm of the organization.
- A win today would put him in third place of most career wins with the organization (Kevin McKenna had a 76-92 record from 1990-93).
- Powell is just three wins away from claiming second all-time in franchise history. Nevada Smith had a 78-72 record from 2016-18.
BIG O'S RETURN
- The Sioux Falls Skyforce is expected to have HEAT assignee Orlando Robinson for the upcoming contest against Memphis.
- Robinson ranks second of all G League players who have played in 6-or-more games in the regular season in scoring, with 26.3 points per game.
- He and HEAT two-way player Jamal Cain are the only two players to average 23+ points and 10+ rebounds in the regular season.
- The Skyforce is 5-1 when Robinson suits up for the team.
BRING THE CLAMPS
- The Sioux Falls Skyforce has held their opponents to under 91 points in two of the last three games.
- Sioux Falls' 103.8 defensive rating during the stretch is good for seventh in the NBA G League. They have also held opponents to just 45.6 FG% (114-250 FGA) and an impressive 27.9 3P% (24-86 3PA) and a total 45 turnovers in the last three games, as well.
SWIDER'S IMPACT
- Cole Swider ranks second in the NBA G League in average +/- of players with 12+ games played, with +9.3 per game.
- He is a combined +111 +/- and is the only player in the two-way top 11 to play 12-or-less games (all 10 above him are at 17+ games played).
- The Skyforce is 5-0 when he nets 5+ 3PM and 11-1 during the regular season with Swider, who's secured a double-double in 5/7 games.
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