Nix was touted as a player that often makes winning plays, and the birthday boy had plenty of those en route to a 25-point game to lead the Ignite in scoring off the bench.
The performance came just one night after going scoreless versus the OKC Blue. In an effort to come out stronger on Saturday, Nix spent time reflecting on that scoreless effort and reset himself a bit.
“Before the game, after I didn’t do so good last night, I went back to my room, and I meditated and prayed,” Nix said. “I kept in contact with my family and that just motivated me and brought up my spirits for this game. In this game, I went out and did what I did. We got the W and we’re just ready for the next game.”
Nix was active on both ends of the floor and had a couple of impressive defensive stops throughout the contest. He possesses a high IQ as the lead guard on the floor and often looks to push the break as often as possible, especially after creating a turnover.
Even when Nix isn’t scoring, he is often making impact plays and that is something that has impressed Shaw to this point of the season after their third game.
“His game isn’t just about scoring, he makes winning plays with his hustle,” Shaw said. “He has good hands on defense. He gets a lot of steals and he, obviously, distributes the ball to his teammates. … Him being our leading scorer tonight, it’s his birthday today, so he gave himself the best birthday present that one could possibly give to themselves.”
Perhaps most important, Nix, along with the rest of the Ignite prospects, finished the game on the court and helped put the win on ice. The situation gave the players a great opportunity to learn how to close out games and that will only help their development moving forward.
