LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – On his 19th birthday, Daishen Nix gave himself the best gift anyone could offer and gave his team another victory.
Just one night after going scoreless, Nix bounced back Saturday to top 25 game points, eight rebounds and six assists to lead the NBA G League Ignite to a 113-105 win over the Raptors 905.
He fired 8-of-15 from the field, including 2-of-4 from a 3-point range.
While Nix turned in his best game of the season, Jonathan Kuminga scored 23 points and 13 rebounds, while Jalen Green added 21 points while Isaiah Todd cracked in 14.
With the third game in the books for the Ignite, Rookie Wire took a look at how each of Saturday’s high-profile expectations from AdventHealth Arena met.
Jalen Green
For the second straight game, Green finished with 21 points while adding three rebounds and three leads. Green did his job in an efficient manner, switching to 7-of-12 from range, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range.
The 19-year-old scored 18 points on his own in the second half and even scored a big 3-point goal with less than four minutes to play to top the Ignite by six points. He continued to look more confident on the floor and that led to another great accomplishment.
Green again managed to drive hard into the paint and finish through a tie. He had a couple of chances and 1 throughout the afternoon going 4-of-5 from the free throw line.
Jonathan Kuminga
Kuminga continued to look like the top player on the Ignite after scoring 23 points and 13 rebounds in 39 minutes of work in the win over the 905.
He showed his entire skill set throughout the tournament and achieved success in getting to the free throw line, going 8-of-11. Ignite head coach Brian Shaw often wakes up about Kuminga’s ability and again praised such flexibility.
“He’s provided an insight into what he can do in every aspect of the game,” Shaw said. “Whether it’s the 3-point view, driving hard to the basket, pushing the defense, reaching the free throw line, his midfield. It’s a nightmare. If they put a smaller boy on him, he can take advantage of that. If they put a bigger boy on him, he can drive around them.
“On the defensive end is where it also makes its presence known. If someone else is hot on the other team, we’ll put them on to try to put out the fire. He found recurrences of adults where his head was above the edge when he wanted to go after him. This is the man out of the young boys whose body is going to be physical at the next level. ”
Coming into the G League season, Kuminga was a largely unknown result to most, but his play is starting to take over the basketball landscape. . He has a chance to be in the top five elections next year and proves why he will step into court every time.
Isaiah Todd
After a subpar debate, in which he scored two points, Todd scored 12 points on Friday and that followed up with 14 points and six rebounds throughout Saturday’s win.
Todd did most of his work from outside the arc, hitting 4-of-5 shots from 3-point range. He has settled in from that debating game and looked a lot more comfortable on the floor.
The 19-year-old has performed well on both ends of the floor to start the bubble because of his size and athleticism. He gives the team flexibility, often holding his own against smaller players, which is something he wants to bring every floor to the floor.
“I feel like that’s just something that manifests itself,” Todd said. “You are a basketball player and you are competitive, I feel I can step into any plate coach who has asked me. If he asked me to put the best scorer on him, put the point guard on, I just always do my best. ”
Daishen Nix
Nix was visited as a player who often makes winning plays, and the birthday boy had plenty of that on the way to a 25-point game to lead the Ignite in it. scoring off the bench.
The show came just one night after it went scoreless against the OKC Blue. In an effort to come out stronger on Saturday, Nix spent time reflecting on that scoreless effort and resetting a bit.
“Before the game, after I didn’t do so well last night, I went back to my room, and I thought and prayed,” Nix said. “I kept in touch with my family and that inspired and lifted my spirits for this game. In this game, I went out and did what I did. We got the W and are just ready for the next game. “
Nix was active on both ends of the floor and had one or two defensive stops throughout the tournament. He has a high IQ as the main guard on the floor and often looks to push the break as often as possible, especially after creating a turn.
Even when Nix isn’t scoring, he often makes influential plays and that’s something that has impressed Shaw so far this season after their third game. .
“His game isn’t just about scoring, he’s making plays with his frenzy,” Shaw said. “He has good hands on defense. He gets a lot of theft and, obviously, distributes the ball to his players. … As our main winner tonight, this is his birthday today, so he gave him the best birthday gift anyone could give themselves. “
Perhaps most importantly, Nix, along with the rest of Ignite’s intentions, ended the game on the court and helped put the win on ice. The setting gave the players a good opportunity to learn how to exclude games and that will only help their development move forward.