Trevelin Queen named G League Player of the Week
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Osceola Magic guard Brandon Williams (1) is among the NBA G League leaders in scoring at 24.0 points per game. PHOTO/KATIE WILLIAMS
The Osceola Magic return to their home wonderland, the Silver Spurs Arena, Thursday after what’s been a fairly successful road trip through Texas.
The Memphis Hustle (3-5), who the Magic (5-3) needed a huge comeback to defeat on Nov. 17, come looking for revenge. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
The Magic, the NBA G League developmental affiliate of the Orlando Magic, won three of four games on the Texas road trip.
The fun began Nov. 22 with a 126-108 win over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets affiliate). Jett Howard, one of Orlando first-round NBA Draft picks from June, debuted with the team and scored 34 points while draining seven three-pointers.
“The G League is a lot of fun, my teammates made the game easy for me,” said Howard, son of NBA veteran Juwon Howard. “Getting reps in with these guys during Orlando’s training camp made it a seamless transition. It’s been great to be a part of winning teams with the Magic.”
Trevelin Queen led Osceola with a game-high 37 points and five rebounds.
“It was an amazing feeling to showcase all of the work I’ve put in this season,” said Queen, who is on a ‘Two-Way’ contract with Orlando and can get summoned to the NBA team at any time. “To get 37 points is an amazing feeling for anyone, but getting the win is the best feeling.”
The Magic set the tone early in the game, shooting 43.4 percent from beyond the arc in the first half, securing a 70-64 lead at halftime.
The two teams played again Friday, and Rio Grande Valley took the 137-133 win, despite Queen again leading all scorers with 35 points. Brandon Williams added 25.
Then Sunday, Osceola defeated the Austin Spurs (San Antonio) at the H-E-B Center 123-116, avenging a loss there two weeks prior. Williams led the charge for the Magic putting up a game-high 29 points. Queen collected a double-double, tallying 28 points, eight rebounds and six assists. “It felt good to come back here and grab a win,” Williams said. “The crowd here is always hostile but we’re forming into the team we want to become.”
The game had a total of 14 lead changes with neither team pulling too far ahead in the contest. The Magic’s clutch free throws helped them secure the win going a perfect 5-for-5 in the fourth quarter.
For scoring 100 points in those three games and for his leadership, Queen was named NBA G League Player of the Week.
“It’s been a great road trip,” Queen said. “(Tuesday) I woke up from my nap to find out I had gotten the Player of the Week and that was a blessing.
The Magic closed the road trip at 3-1 Tuesday with a 122-115 win over the Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder). Queen led Osceola with a team-high 23 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Mac McClung tallied 22 points and seven assists.
"We’re excited to get back to Kissimmee and play in front of the home fans," Queen said.
Through eight games, Magic guard Mac McClung leads the team in scoring, and is fourth in the G League, with 25.1 points per game; Queen (24.8, and second in steals with 2.6 per game) and Williams (24.0) are is right behind in fifth and ninth. Despite coming off the bench, Daeqwon Plowden is averaging 14.3 points per game, giving the Magic four players averaging double digits.
Osceola is scoring 124.4 points per game through seven contests, good for second in the league behind Rio Grande Valley (129.3) Tonight is the first in a stretch where the Magic will play five of their next six games at the Silver Spurs, including Tuesday against the Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks) and a Dec. 13 School Day game against the Birmingham Squadron (New Orleans Pelicans), when the teams will tipoff at 10:30 a.m. in front of thousands of students from local elementary and middle schools.
