Hey look, we’re here two weeks in a row. It’s a new record for the “weekly” update. But that’s how it be sometimes.
The Greensboro Swarm only played two games this week, so this is going to be a quick one.
Transactions
The Swarm traded the returning player rights of Sterling Brown to the Westchester Knicks for MJ Walker. Walker was a good-shooting wing for Florida State but hasn’t quite found the stroke at the professional level yet. He’s appeared in 69 games for Westchester and averaged 12 points per game.
They also waived Jordan Murphy, who had appeared in nine games this season.
January 15. 2024: Swarm rally but fall short to MAgic, 119-115
The teams traded blows in a high scoring, even first quarter. A 13-2 Magic run in the second quarter gave them a brief double digit lead, but the Swarm chipped away at that lead going into the half. They further cut into the lead and pulled within a possession a couple of times throughout the third, but the Magic answered with threes whenever it seemed like the Swarm were threatening. The Magic scored 13 straight to start the fourth before Jeremiah Tilmon stopped the run with a a couple of old school postups. They trailed by double figures for most of the fourth before making a late rally when the game was just about out of reach.
Amari Bailey and Jaylen Sims both had strong games for the Swarm, scoring 26 and 28 points respectively. Bailey chipped in eight assists as well.
January 20, 2024:
The Swarm took on the South Bay Lakers in front of a raucous crowd of 619 people in the UCLA Health Training Center. The teams traded baskets before a trio of dunks from the Lakers gave them a modest lead midway through the first. The Swarm watched the deficit slowly grow over the course of the second quarter, but 14 straight points spanning halftime gave them an early second half lead. That lead was short lived, however, and the Lakers slowly restored a ten point lead heading into the fourth.
The Swarm rallied until consecutive possessions featuring a 4-point play then regular unfouled 3-pointer by RJ Hunter gave them a lead with about four minutes left to play. The teams traded buckets throughout crunch time before Jalen Hood-Schifino sliced through the lane to put the Lakers up one with two seconds to play. The ensuing inbound didn’t go as planned, but Jeremiah Tilmon ran down an errant passed and tossed a shot up over the top of the backboard while falling out of bounds on the baseline. He almost sank the miracle game winner, but it rattled in and out as the final buzzer sounded.
Sims and Bailey both had strong, 20+ point performances for the second straight game. Sims only missed one shot. RJ Hunter joined them with 23 points and five made 3-pointers.
What’s Next
The Swarm will hang out on the west coast for visits to the Ontario Clippers on Tuesday and Thursday.
