NBA G League Ignite begins its final week of regular-season action Monday, facing the Delaware Blue Coats (7-4) at 3 p.m. from AdventHealth Arena and live on ESPN2.
Ignite and the Blue Coats enter the contest with the same record and both firmly in the hunt for one of eight playoff berths. Jalen Green continues to lead Ignite after averaging 25.0 points per game in his two most recent outings, good for 18.3 points per game on the season, while Jonathan Kuminga has three double-doubles this season.
The Blue Coats led the league to open the season, racking up seven-straight wins before a recent four-game losing skid that started on Feb. 22 against Erie. With two of the G League’s top 10 scorers in Paul Reed (3rd, 22.4) and Rayjon Tucker (9th, 19.9), Delaware ranks among the G League’s top teams for steals per game, points per game and 3-point field goal percentage. Among league leaders, Reed is third in steals (2.1) and fifth in rebounding (11.2 rpg) and blocks (2.1).
LAST TIME OUT
Ignite’s rookies rallied to hold off a Canton comeback, improving to 7-4 with a 113-112 victory over the Charge. Although Ignite led by as many as 16 points in the third quarter, the team found itself down 112-111 with 4.9 seconds remaining in the game before Isaiah Todd drained a buzzer beater to lift Ignite to victory.
Todd finished with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Jalen Green led the squad with a career-high 26 points. Jonathan Kuminga poured in 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for a double-double, and Daishen Nix dished out a game-high nine assists. Jarrett Jack added 16 points, and Amir Johnson scored 11 points as Ignite shot 53 percent (44-83) for the game.
BY THE NUMBERS
13
Ignite tallied a season-high 13 3-pointers against Canton, going 13-31 from beyond the arc. Jalen Green hit six of those 13 treys, going 6-8 and finishing one 3-pointer shy of the 2021 G League season high.
25.0
Jalen Green is averaging 25.0 points in his last two appearances. Green set his career-high at 24 in Friday’s loss to Salt Lake City, and then upped the total with 26 points in the win over Canton. He shot 9-14 overall. Green now has six 20-point outings this season.
20 & 3
With 20 points and 13 rebounds in Ignite’s victory over Canton, Jonathan Kuminga now has four 20-point games and three double-doubles on the season.
