Lesane Crooks
Published May 21, 2023
Game 3 - Mamba Prevails Against Stampede; Slim Drops 16 pts & 12 Dimes
The Mamba made 22/45 3FG in a high scoring affair against the Stampede as Jason Thomas & Daniel Street each scored 20 pts to lead the Mamba to a 137-126 victory, Thomas went 8/13 FG (3/6 3FG) while Street was perfect off the bench w/ 7/7 FG & 6/6 3FG. The big story of the game though is the bounce back game of top rookie Reginald Martin aka Slim who posted 16 pts & 12 dimes as he dishes highlight-worthy dimes all game long, off the bench Nick Falconer added 15 pts while Teddy Mitchell added 14 pts & 8 rebs, another off the bench performer Reece Cullen put up 13 pts while Paul Green hd 11 pts & 7 rebs as well. The Stampede was lead by Torrence Battles' 29 pts, 6 rebs, 4 asts & 3 stls while Tony Petersons helped w/ 20 pts & 10 boards.
ROOKIE WATCH: Slim had arguably his best game so far & one thing's for sure, he brings the artistry whenever he is on the court, he shot 4/8 FG, 4/7 3FG & 4/6 FT but he did commit 5 turnovers as some of those flashy passes were a bit off target. 2-Way contract rookie Daniel Street had a perfect game off the bench & was easily knockin down shots as he hit game-high 6/6 3FG, Teddy Mitchell's 14 pts & 8 boards was also impressive but Brian Sides foul trouble kept him on the down trend shooting only 2/8 FG, 2/8 3FG & 2/2 FT for 8 pts he did have 6 rebs, 2 asts & 1 blk.
GAME 4 - Rangers Huge 4th Qtr Takes Out Mamba; Slim Continues to Impress
The Mamba started strong but the Rangers were able to get back on their feet & outscored the young Mamba team 31-17 to beat them 128-108 as Dajuan Howard exploded for 33 pts & 3 rebs while off the bench Myron McDonald added 20 pts in 16 mins of play shooting 9/10 FG (2/3 3FG). The Mamba's wings were on point as Jason Thomas shot 12/20 FG (3/3 3FG, 2/2 FT) for 29 pts w/ 5 asts, 4 rebs & 2 stlw while off the bench Daniel Street didn't disappoint posting 19 pts on 8/17 FG (3/9 3FG), 3 rebs & 3 stls, Teddy Mitchell contributed w/ 16 pts & 8 rebs while star rookie Reginald Martin was solid w/ 13 pts, 6 asts, 4 rebs & 1 blk, also off the bench Reece Cullen adde 10 pts. 6 rebs & 3 asts.
ROOKIE WATCH: Slim had a decent outing & continues his flashy performance but this time w/ only 1 turnover to 6 dimes, the 6'8" PG shot 5/9 FG (3/6 3FG) for 13 pts & pulled down 4 rebs as well as having 1 blk. Daniel Street has been a weapon off the bench exploding for 19 pts w/ 3 dimes & 3 stls showing that he can be relied upon when needed. Teddy Mitchell was efficient 8/14 FG for 16 pts & 8 rebs while Brian Sides continues to struggle as he was only able to score 5 pts on 2/5 FG (1/3 3FG) w/ 4 asts, 3 rebs, 1 stl & 1 blk.
THE NOISE: "Slim (Martin) has slowly putting on a show out there, his swag & flair is really fun to watch but you have to sometimes scratch your head as sometimes he will throw a bad pass here & there but that comes w/ his youth. He is a perfect fit in LA because of his artistic style of basketball but he needs to be more aggressive scoring as well. Daniel (Street) has been really a big revelation for us, he is a walking bucket, we'll have our eyes on him & see how he develops, Jason (Thomas) have stepped up as of late as this team's leader & we're happy to see him play his brand of basketball as it will bode well for his development," HC Reggie Blunt said about the performance of the notable Mamba players last 2 games.