As Gilas Pilipinas prospect Kai Sotto goes back into quarantine again after returning to the United States from the Philippines, Jalen Green poured in 22 points as the unbeaten NBA G League Ignite stretched its win streak to four.
The 6’6” Filipino-American shooting guard showed the way for Ignite as they turned back the Iowa Wolves, 97-90, Monday afternoon (Tuesday in the Philippines) at the AdventHealth Arena inside the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Green’s output included new career-highs in assists (5) and rebounds (6) in his third consecutive 20-point outing.
Timely baskets came from Green, who is among the top choices for the coming NBA Rookie Draft, in the last seven minutes as Ignite fought their way out of six-point deficit in the fourth period with a 13-0 blast.
Ignite, with Donta Hall tallying his first double-double of the season of 12 points and 16 rebounds, now shares the lead with the Austin Spurs, who won over Fort Wayne, 116-111.
Jonathan Kuminga scored on a floater during their rally to tie the contest, 85-all, with 4:30 left.
Veteran cager Jarrett Jack had 12, while Jessie Govan provided 10 points for Ignite.
Daishen Nix made only eight points in the last four minutes, but his three-pointer and putback in the remaining 2:49 pushed Ignite ahead, 90-85.
With the Wolves turning the ball over four times, Hall’s reverse layup handed Ignite a 92-85 edge with 2:09 to go.
Ignite goes for win no. 5 when it meets the Erie Bayhawks Wednesday at 3 p.m
Sotto has returned to the US since he could no longer play for the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team.
The coming campaign of Gilas Pilipinas for the final window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers has been called off.
Sotto will be allowed to rejoin Ignite once has complied with health and safety protocols set by the NBA, wherein a player must have four negative RT-PCR results for four consecutive days before he can enter the Orlando bubble.