Golden State Warriors' rookie Taran Armstrong has delivered his best performance in the G League thus far, helping Santa Cruz to a dominant 145-111 victory over the Osceolo Magic at Silver Spurs Arena on Wednesday.
In just his third game with Santa Cruz after signing a two-way contract with Golden State last month, Armstrong was a remarkable +48 in 29 minutes off the bench as the Warriors controlled the game from the opening tip.
Taran Armstrong and the G League Warriors were impressive on Wednesday
The Australian point guard finished with 11 points, five rebounds and seven assists for the game, having shot 3-of-5 from the floor including 1-of-2 from 3-point range. Armstrong was active for Golden State in their first two games of the home-stand against the Detroit Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers, but has yet to make his NBA debut.
While Armstrong's plus-minus may have jumped off the box score, it was the Blake Hinson show for Santa Cruz as the young sharpshooter went ballistic in the first-half. Hinson had 27 points in the first 24 minutes, ensuring the Warriors went to the main break with an unassailable 81-53 lead.
Blake Hinson erupted for another 30+ PT game with 37 PTS, shooting 68% from the field and 6-9 from the three-point line for the @GLeagueWarriors. 💪 pic.twitter.com/UEEYkQsabV
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) March 13, 2025
Hinson finished with a game-high 37 points, having shot an incredibly efficient 13-of-19 from the floor and 6-of-9 from 3-point range. The 25-year-old is now averaging nearly 19 points in 25 G League regular season games, and is now shooting over 36% from beyond the arc.
Braxton Key also continued to push his case for a rotation role with Golden State after signing a two-way contract with the franchise last week. After averaging 26.4 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and a mind-boggling 5.0 steals in his first three games with Santa Cruz, the 28-year-old added another 26 points (10-of-18 shooting, 2-of-2 3P), eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in only 28 minutes.
Javan Johnson also had 23 points on an efficient 8-of-13 shooting, while two-way contracted forward Jackson Rowe returned to the G League and had 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals in 28 minutes.
3x NBA Dunk Contest Winner Mac McClung, who previously played for the Warriors in Summer League, led the Magic with 25 points and three steals in his team's blowout loss. Another former G League and Summer League Warrior, Ethan Thompson, added 16 points and four rebounds for the hosts.
Santa Cruz have now won two-straight games ahead of a matchup with the Birmingham Squadron at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on Friday.