On the first night of SlamBall competition at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, the MOB and Buzzsaw came up the winners in the first and second sessions, respectively.
Action in SlamBall continues Saturday at 7:30 p.m. PT / 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+), with Rumble vs. Wrath and Ozone vs. Lava.
SLAMBALL GAME SUMMARIES – JULY 21, 2023
Session 1, Game 1 – Mob 71, Rumble 36
The return of SlamBall pitted legacy teams the Mob and Rumble against each other with the Mob running away with a 71-36 victory in front of a sell-out audience at Cox Pavilion. Kaylon Tippins-Hill scored the first points of SlamBall’s sixth season with a crowd-pleasing dunk, putting the Rumble up 3-0. But the Mob’s Darius Clark answered with a thunderous dunk of his own and the Mob never looked back. Clark led all scorers with 27 points, all on dunks, including a pair of Face Offs.
Session 1, Game 2 – Slashers 67, Lava 63
The second game of Friday’s first season between the Lava and Slashers was much more competitive than the first contest. The Slashers led 32-30 halftime and the count was dead even at 52 after three quarters. Alonzo Scott Jr. and Tony Crosby II scored late buckets to give the Slashers a 67-63 win. Scott finished with 17 points while Crosby added 14. Bryce Moragne, the first overall in the 2023 SlamBall Draft, tallied 23 points but it wasn’t enough for the Lava.
Session 1, Main Event – Mob 62, Slashers 23
The Mob continued their early-season dominance with a 62-23 dismantling of the Slashers in the first session’s Main Event. For the second straight game, skywalker Darius Clark led the Mob in scoring, throwing down 21 points on seven dunks. For the evening, Clark threw down 16 dunks for 48 points. Mob stopper Gage Smith was a brick wall against the Slashers, making 10 stops while adding 12 points. In their two games, the Mob outscored the opposition 133-59.
Clark, who owns the Guinness World Record for the highest vertical leap with a running start at 50 feet, wasn’t surprised with the blazing start to his SlamBall career. “So, I’ve had a different career path,” Clark said. “I feel like I’m a professional jumper. So jumping is what I do. So as soon as I heard I was going to be invited to SlamBall, I knew instantly it was gonna be a perfect fit because it’s a lot of high-flying action. I’m a high-flying individual. So, you know it’s going to be a show.”
Session 2, Game 1 – Wrath 42, Gryphons 37
The first game of the second session was a defensive tussle. The Wrath pulled away midway through the fourth quarter for a 42-37 victory. The Wrath were paced by Ty McGee (16 points), Christian Gray (12 points) and Shawn Stith (four stops). In the losing effort, the Gryphons received solid efforts from Justin Holmes (14 points) and Connor Hollenbeck (seven stops).
Session 2, Game 2 – Buzzsaw 60, Ozone 34
In the middle game of the second session, the Buzzsaw keep the Ozone grounded, collecting an easy 60-34 victory. For the Buzzsaw, Ralph Bellamy starred on the offensive end, tallying a game-high 18 points, while Tyquan Scott was a defensive presence, recording 10 stops.
Session 2, Main Event – Buzzsaw 44, Wrath 32
In the nightcap, the Buzzsaw sprinted to an 8-0 lead over the Wrath, but that would not last for long. The Wrath tied things at 18 apiece before the Buzzsaw went on another run, scoring the next 14 points en route to a 44-32 triumph. Tyquan Scott had his way against the Wrath, posting 10 stops, giving him 20 for the evening.