The Lakeland Magic, NBA G League affiliate of the Orlando Magic, defeat the Birmingham Squadron, 131-128 at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC.
The Squadron, who started the season 0-3, came out with the lead early in the first quarter. At one point the Squadron led by double figures behind a great shooting performance by guard Dereon Seabron. The swingman had 9 points on 4-5 shooting for the Squadron leading them to a 36-30 lead at the end of the first quarter.
To start the second quarter, the Magic came out with a 5-0 run led by floor general Zavier Simpson. Robert Baker II gave the Magic a spark off the bench scoring 9 points. After facing a 15-point deficit, the Magic bounced back and cut the lead to just seven with a signature hook shot by Zavier Simpson at the buzzer. The Squadron had seven different players with at least seven points, finishing the first half in the lead 70-63.
During the third quarter, both teams were trading three-point shots hitting 14 in total. Lakeland took the lead early in the fourth quarter for the first time since the 32-second mark at the start of the game with a three-point shot by Drake Jefferies. The Magic bounced back to take the victory over the Squadron after trailing for the first four quarters.
Career highs in points were recorded by both Jay Scrubb (38) and Drake Jefferies (24). in points. Jemerrio Jones recorded a triple-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists while also recording 4 steals. “The win is what matters; I wasn’t thinking about a career-high at all. At halftime we knew they gave us their best punch, we had to stay focused and execute our game plan,” Scrubb said.
The Lakeland Magic (3-2) will continue their road trip in a match on Friday, November 18 in Mexico City against the Capitanes at 8:00 PM on NBAGleague.com