Overtime

KAI SOTTO SPEARS SKILLED DEFENSE IN IGNITE’S LOSS AGAINST G LEAGUE VETS

NBA G-League Ignite, composed of the finest young players starring wunderkinds Kai Sotto, Jonathan Kuminga, and Jalen Green, fell short to a squad of G-League veterans, 113-107, in a scrimmage Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time) in Walnut Creek, California.

/ 17 December 2020

Kai Sotto, in his first-ever of semi-professional play, impressed defensive wares tallying 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 two blocks.

Ignite head coach Brian Shaw lauded the performance of the 7-foot-2 big man despite converting only one of his five attempts from the field.

“Kai has been good. He’s getting stronger, building stamina. He’s learning to use his length. His biggest impact for us is on the defensive end,” Shaw commended.

“I have to find a way to get him more involved offensively,” he added.

Congolese prospect Jonathan Kuminga spearheaded the Ignite garnering 26 on 11/15 shooting on top of 8 rebounds. Followed by Filipino-American Jalen Green logged 22 points and seven boards.

Though bowing to the G-League veterans, Shaw still commended every bit of his recruits showing superb performance during the game.

“I was really, really happy with the effort and what I saw today,” said Ignite head coach Brian Shaw.

“I was very pleased with what I saw, in terms of how we matched the physicality, the intensity, that the other team played with. For a group of young guys that are playing against some physically more mature grown men, they held their own and some,” he continued.

DJ Hogg of the Wisconsin Herd top-scored the veterans with his 18 points and 8 rebounds, alongside London Perrantes of the Capital City Go-Go with 18 points, 4 boards, and 4 assists.

Marcus Graves and Isaiah Briscoe also added flames scoring 16 points in the win.

The two teams will play again on Thursday (Friday Manila time).