Not many would have predicted that Emmanuel Mudiay would come back to play again. But he made a playoff comeback and was even the hero in Game 3. Down 0-2 to the Beijing Ducks, the Guangdong Tigers felt like they needed to make a change. Bringing back Mudiay to replace a disappointing Jeff Adrian gave them an interesting backcourt with Mudiay and Will Bynum. As risky as the move sounded for Guangdong and Mudiay himself, it worked out perfectly as Guangdong dominated Beijing in Game 3, with Mudiay tallying 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Down 2-1 now, Guandong had to travel to Beijing to win Game 4 in order to take it to a deciding Game 5 back home. Will Bynum injured himself early in the game, forcing Mudiay to play the rest of the game and carry the team on his back. However, it was Stephon Marbury that stole the show once again. With Guangdong up 3 in the closing seconds of the game, Marbury was able to make two big 3-point shots to tie the game late in the game. Forcing overtime, it was also Marbury who put his teammate in position to tip in his miss at the buzzer eliminating the Guangdong Tigers and finally putting a end to Mudiay’s China season. Mudiay finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 6 turnovers.
Mudiay was not able to fully showcase his abilities on his final night. Although he played 44 minutes, we rarely saw him aggressively attack like he can. It was disappointing to see Mudiay not trying to guard Marbury when Stephon was driving past his man with ease getting layup after layup. Another disappointing loss for Mudiay and his Guangdong Tigers in Beijing. Mudiay’s first pro game was after a disappointing performance dominated by Stephon Marbury, and so would his last. It will be hard to say how these couple of games affected his draft stock as we’ve seen him struggle like he did during the regular season, but also show flashes of potential. Credit him for making the effort to get back on the court, and it’s important to cut him some slack as he was just coming back from the injury and still performed fairly well.
Below are highlights from his two games back and an interview with Mudiay.
Mudiay Comeback Highlights of both Games:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA2Wz3MikGQ
Mudiay Comeback Interviews:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-p-ZtIgubk
SMU
Should’ve stayed at SMU
He might not have been
He might not have been eligible and his family needed the money.
SMU
Should’ve stayed at SMU
He might not have been
He might not have been eligible and his family needed the money.