Deivon Smith shines in Santa Cruz debut, but Warriors suffer narrow loss

Guard Deivon Smith scores career-high 26 points, but Santa Cruz falls to Memphis Hustle in NBA G League action

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Guard Deivon Smith, acquired in a trade over the weekend, had a standout debut for the Santa Cruz Warriors, scoring a career-high 26 points off the bench. However, the Warriors suffered a narrow 108-107 loss to the Memphis Hustle in their NBA G League matchup. Santa Cruz rallied from a 15-point deficit but couldn't hold on in the final minutes, dropping to 9-9 on the season with their third straight loss.

Why it matters

The Warriors' loss is a setback in their quest to climb the standings in the competitive NBA G League Western Conference. However, the strong debut of Deivon Smith, a mid-season acquisition, provides hope that he can be a valuable addition to the team's rotation as they look to turn things around.

The details

In addition to Smith's 26 points, two-way forward Malevy Leons recorded a double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds, and forward Jack Clark also had a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds. Guard Taevion Kinsey scored 18 points, and guard Franco Miller Jr. added 17 points for Santa Cruz. For the Hustle, forward Tyler Burton led the way with 21 points, and forward Eric Dixon scored 20 points.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.

The players

Deivon Smith

A guard who was recently acquired by the Santa Cruz Warriors in a trade with the College Park Skyhawks and made his debut for the team.

Malevy Leons

A two-way forward for the Santa Cruz Warriors who recorded a double-double in the game with 19 points and 15 rebounds.

Jack Clark

A forward for the Santa Cruz Warriors who also recorded a double-double in the game with 13 points and 15 rebounds.

Tyler Burton

A forward for the Memphis Hustle who led his team in scoring with 21 points.

Eric Dixon

A forward for the Memphis Hustle who scored 20 points in the game.

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What’s next

The two teams will face off again on Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 5 p.m. at the Landers Center.

The takeaway

While the Santa Cruz Warriors suffered a narrow loss, the strong debut of newly acquired guard Deivon Smith provides optimism that he can be a valuable addition to the team's rotation as they look to climb the standings in the competitive NBA G League Western Conference.