Ignite Falls In Final Seconds To Spurs, 105-104
-- Buzelis Notched his First Career Double-Double Despite the Loss –
Official Release /January 10, 2024
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| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | SCORE | POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS |
| AUSTIN SPURS | 21 | 28 | 31 | 25 | 105 | RaiQuan Gray 28 | RaiQuan Gray 9 | Duke/ Washburn 5 |
| G LEAGUE IGNITE | 30 | 26 | 27 | 21 | 104 | Buzelis/ Jenkins 19 | Matas Buzelis 15 | Norris Cole 8 |
HENDERSON, Nev., Jan. 9, 2024 – NBA G League Ignite (0-7) fell in a hard-fought battle to the Austin Spurs (5-0), 105-104, on Tuesday at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev.
Matas Buzelis led the way for Ignite after posting his first-career double-double with 19 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. John Jenkins tallied 19 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals. Will Davis had a final stat line of 17 points, eight rebounds and two assists on 8-of-11 shooting from the field in his first start of the season. Admon Gilder added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Tyler Smith tallied 12 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
RaiQuan Gray paced the Spurs with a game-high 28 points, nine rebounds, five steals and four assists on 13-of-23 shooting from the field. Erik Stevenson followed with 24 points, four rebounds and two steals on 5-of-9 shooting from behind the arc. Paul Watson provided 13 points and seven rebounds, while Julian Washburn poured in 12 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Ignite erupted in the opening period after shooting 63.2 percent from the field, including 50 percent from the three-point line. Will Davis and John Jenkins combined for 16 of the team’s 30 points to help Ignite take a nine-point lead into the second quarter. Ignite extended its lead by 14 points, the largest of the game, at the 7:11 mark in the second period after Jenkins buried a three-pointer. The Spurs slowly crawled back into the game behind a 10-point quarter from Erik Stevenson to help cut Ignite’s lead to seven points (56-49) at the halfway mark. Ignite remained in the lead throughout the third quarter despite the Spurs’ stellar shooting performance in the frame after shooting 53.3 percent, including 83.3 percent from the three-point line. The Spurs continued to apply pressure and took its first lead (86-85) in the fourth quarter for the first time since the opening period (17-16), forcing Ignite to call a timeout. Ignite quickly responded with a 9-0 run to reclaim the lead. Down six with a minute and three seconds remaining in regulation, the Spurs scored seven consecutive points, including the game-winning basket with 6.5 seconds remaining, as Ignite couldn’t convert on the final play.
NEXT UP
Ignite will take on the Iowa Wolves on Wednesday, Jan. 10, at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev., tipping off at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET. Coverage will be available on ESPN+ and SSSEN.
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