Cam double-double with more minutes coming? Newton 30+ Point streak continues
Cam Spencer
The 2024 National Champion recorded his fourth double-double of the season this past Friday night after scoring 21 points and dropping 11 assists, with just two turnovers in the Memphis Grizzlies 133-127 home loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Cam was efficient from the field, shooting 7-of-9 overall including 4-of-6 from three and 3-of-4 at the free throw line.
On Saturday, the Grizzlies announced starting point guard Ja Morant sustained a UCL sprain in his left elbow during Wednesday’s 124-122 loss to the Atlanta Hawks and will be reevaluated in three weeks. Morant’s absence will once again allow another big opportunity for Spencer who is nearly averaging a double-double when he plays and Morant does not. In 22 games this season without Morant in the lineup, Cam is averaging 12.9 points, 7.2 assists in 27.9 minutes per game. Meanwhile in 20 games when both Morant and Spencer play together, Spencer is averaging 11.0 points, 3.7 assists in just 19.4 minutes per game.
Tristen Newton (G-League)
Tristen Newton has given the Houston Rockets front office a lot to think about. Newton, who signed a two-way deal with the Rockets back on January 3rd, recorded three straight 30+ point games after scoring 32 points on Tuesday, 36 points on Thursday and 34 points on Saturday, resulting in three wins for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets G-League affiliate). In the three games, he averaged 34.0 points per game while shooting 37-of-64 (57.8%) from the field, 13-of-29 (44.8%) from three and 10-of-13 (76.9%) from the free throw line. On the season, Newton is averaging 26.6 points per game, which ranks fourth in the G-League and trials scoring leader Kobe Bufkin by just 0.3 points.
After his 36-point performance on Saturday, Newton was interviewed postgame and was asked how he felt on the court, “I felt good… My teammates encouraged me to be aggressive all the time, get to the rim, get to my spots and shoot the shots that I need to shoot. All credit to them and the coaches for believing in me and giving me the space and the opportunity to play my game.”
Donovan Clingan
DC tailled his 16th double-double of the season, and third over his last four games, this past Friday in the Blazers 110-98 home loss to the Toronto Raptors. Clingan scored 13 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and shot 6-of-14 from the field, including 1-of-4 from behind the arc. He also picked up two assists and a career-high three steals. The loss snapped the Blazers four-game winning streak.
Clingan has started in all 42 games he has played in this season and is averaging a double-double, 11.3 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. The 10.9 rebounds ranks fourth in the NBA, trailing only Ivica Zubac, Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Liam McNeeley (G-League)
After scoring 19 points and dropping nine assists on Friday night, McNeeley erupted for a G-League career-high 28 points in the Greensboro Swarm’s (Charlotte Hornets G-League affiliate) 147-138 loss to the Maine Celtics (Boston Celtics G-League affiliate) on Sunday afternoon. McNeeley went 11-of-15 from the field, 2-of-5 from three and 3-of-3 from the line while also contributing five rebounds and five assists. He scored 13 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter.
Stephon Castle
Castle piled up the stat sheet in Thursday’s San Antonio Spurs 126-109 win at the Utah Jazz, scoring 16 points along with six rebounds, eight assists and two steals in 38 minutes. On Sunday, Castle scored just five points in 29 minutes. The Spurs (31-15) are currently the tied for 2nd place in the Western Conference (see more below for more standings notes!)
James Bouknight (G-League)
Bouknight’s 3-game 25+ point streak was snapped after scoring 14 points on Thursday and 11 points on Saturday against the South Bay Lakers (Los Angeles Lakers G-League affiliate).
Samson Johnson (G-League)
Johnson scored six points in 13 minutes on Thursday and just two points in only 11 minutes on Saturday for the Noblesville Boom (Indiana Pacers G-League affiliate). Samson has started in 14 of the 17 G-League games he has played in this season (including 14 in a row) but is only averaging 18.6 minutes per contest.
Tyrese Martin
After not playing (via coach’s decision) on Friday against the Celtics, Martin played 14 minutes off the bench on Sunday night in the Brooklyn Nets’ 126-89 blowout loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Martin struggled to get anything going as he scored just two points on 1-of-7 from the field, including 0-of-4 from behind the arc.
Andre Jackson Jr.
Played four minutes this past Friday in the Milwaukee Bucks 102-100 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Jackson Jr. tailed one assist and missed both of the three-pointers that he attempted. The Mavericks-Bucks game that was scheduled for Sunday was postponed due to the nation-wide snowstorm.
Multiple Huskies did not play either via the snowstorm and/or Coach’s Decision
Jordan Hawkins—Did not play on Friday against Cam Spencer and the Memphis Grizzlies or Sunday against Stephon Castle and the San Antonio Spurs both via coach’s decisions.
Andre Drummond—Did not play on Thursday against the Houston Rockets or Saturday against the New York Knicks both via coach’s decisions.
Tyler Polley (G-League)—Polley and the College Park Skyhawks (Atlanta Hawks G-League affilate) were not scheduled to play over the last four days. Their next matchup is on Tuesday against the South Bay Lakers.
Tage Thompson
Tage scored his 27th goal of the season this past Friday in a 5-0 Buffalo Sabres win over the New York Islanders. Buffalo is currently 29-17 and sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference, who have not made the postseaosn since 2011. The Sabres 14-year playoff drought is the second-longest across all four major professional sports, behind only the New York Jets’ 15-year absence.
UConn-NBA Standings
Eastern Conference
6. Andre Drummond and the 76ers (24-20)
11. Andre Jackson Jr. and the Bucks (18-26)
13. Tyrese Martin and the Nets (12-32)
Western Conference
T-2. Stephon Castle and the Spurs (31-15)
9. Donovan Clingan and the Trail Blazers (23-23)
11. Cam Spencer and the Grizzlies (18-25)
15. Jordan Hawkins and the Pelicans (12-36)
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