Game Preview: at Hustle

Last Meeting: W, 116-88 on 3/25/23 in Sioux Falls

Live Stream: ESPN+

All-Time Record: 8-8

Streak: W3

The Sioux Falls Skyforce wraps up three games in six days (two on the road in different cities) with an opportunity to go 3-0 in the stretch, with the latter being the Memphis Hustle. 

The Skyforce, winners of 6-0, and off to the best start for a regular season since the 1996-97 CBA championship team (13-0 start) and best record in the NBA G League, came back from down 26 points and a 0-17 start to defeat the Salt Lake City Stars 138-130 on Sunday from the Sanford Pentagon. 

Alondes Williams shattered Scotty Hopson's franchise record for points in  a game (55 points on 21-30 FGA), in which Hopson had 52 points on 2/24/15 against Reno. Cole Swider tied a career-high with 37 points on 11-16 FGA (7-11 3PA) and a carer-high 12 rebounds, while Manny Camper added nine points, 11 assists, six rebounds and a +30 +/-. 

The Skyforce turns its attention to the Hustle, with the first trip to Memphis since the 2021-22 season, after sweeping the team to end the last year's regular season. Four players scored in double figures as the Force handled the Hustle 116-88 in the team's last match-up on 3/25/23. 

Memphis is led by center Matt Hurt, who's averaging 24.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. They also feature former Skyforce player Davon Reed, who earned an NBA Call-Up with the Denver Nuggets in 2019-20. The Hustle comes into the game being swept in a back-to-back by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Jan. 5-6. 

Sioux Falls returns home this weekend in a back-to-back series against the Austin Spurs (4-0), as two-of-three undefeated teams left in the Western Conference square off. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 PM CST both days. 

MAN MAN'S HISTORIC DAY

· Alondes Williams became just the second Skyforce player in franchise history to secure 50+ points scored in a game. 

· He scored 38 points on 14-17 FGA (3-3 3PA) in the second half, which would have been his second highest scoring output of his career before Sunday. 

· His 55 points are the most scored in the NBA G League over the last two seasons. Nik Stauskas netted 57 points 3/1/22 for the Grand Rapids Gold. 

· Man Man's 21-30 FGA is the third highest shooting efficiency in NBA G League history of players scoring 55+ points, trailing just Tyler Harvey (58 points on 78.3 FG%) and Pierre Jackson (58 points on 72.7 FG%). 

· Williams and Swider outscored the Salt Lake City Stars by four points in the second half (20-26 FGA). 

SWIDER'S SHARP SHOOTING

· Swider is off to an insanely hot start from beyond the arc, leading the NBA G League in three point makes per game (6) and is the only player so far to average six-or-more three point makes per game. 

· His 62.1 3P% ranks second of players with five-plus makes per game.

· He currently ranks third in the G League in points per game (29.0) and first of players with three-plus games played. The Force is 4-0 when he scores 30+ points and 5-1 with five-plus 3PM. 

GOING STREAKIN'

· The Skyforce looks to go on their second streak of seven-plus wins in a row in less than a calendar year (8-0 to end the regular season and into the 2023 NBA G League playoffs). 

· Sioux Falls hasn't gone on multiple seven game winning streaks in under a calendar year since the record breaking 2015-16 season and would be just second time in the NBA G League era.