MANILA, Philippines — Team Ignite broke out of their losing slump at just the right time to punch a ticket to the NBA G League playoffs, winning against the Austin Spurs, 127-92 at the AdventHealth Arena in Orlando, Florida on Saturday (Sunday, Manila time).
After going 4-0 in the beginning of the season, Ignite fell into a funk against more seasoned teams in the developmental league.
Prior to their win against the Spurs, the prospect-led Ignite went 3-7 in their last 10 games before pulling out the clutch victory to nab the last spot in the playoffs.
Ignite needed to pull out all the stops after losing three in a row prior to their final game of the season, including an upset loss at the hands of the also-ran Agua Caliente Clippers.
Against the Spurs, Ignite was all business determined to finish the season on a strong note, regardless if they made the playoffs or not.
At the end of the opening salvo, Ignite was already up by double-digits, 29-19.
This trend continued for Ignite as they made easy work of the Spurs who had already secured their spot safely at No. 5 in the standings.
Veteran Amir Johnson top scored for Ignite with 27 points while Isaiah Todd led the prospects with 25 markers.
Filipino-American Jalen Green, for his part, finished with 18 points in the lopsided win.
Ignite will face the Raptors 905 in the knockout playoffs on Monday, March 8 (Tuesday, March 9 in Manila).