No. 3 Vipers Upset No. 3 Lakers To Advance To West Semifinals
Official Release /March 30, 2023
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El Segundo, Calif. (March 29, 2023) – The Rio Grande Valley Vipers (1-0), the NBA G League affiliate of the Houston Rockets, took down the South Bay Lakers (0-1) 124-122 on Wednesday afternoon at UCLA Health Training Center during the Conference Quarterfinals of the 2023 NBA G League Playoffs presented by Google Pixel.
South Bay scored the opening two baskets which allowed the team to jump to a 4-0 lead. The Lakers maintained the lead throughout the quarter but led for no more than seven points. At the end of the quarter the Vipers were down 30-35.
Things changed in the second quarter as RGV came from behind and tied the game 37-37 with 9:46 left. The team then took its first lead of the game and made the score 40-37. After that, the game became tied three more times before the Vipers could fully pull away and walk away with a 68-65 lead going into the half.
In the third quarter RGV led by as many as nine points and set the score at 80-71. South Bay then came from behind and went on a 13-0 run resulting in an 84-80 lead for the home team with less than seven minutes to go. The Lakers maintained its lead and sent the game into the third quarter with a score of 99-95.
During the fourth quarter both teams went head-to-head for the lead as the quarter consisted of six lead changes. With less than two minutes to go in the quarter the Vipers were down 117-122, but things quickly changed. RGV went on a 5-0 run and tied the game 122-122 with 17 seconds to go. As the buzzer hit 0.2 seconds Jalen Lecque went up for the basket and scored the game winning shot which sent the Vipers into a 124-122 victory.
Houston Rockets assignment TyTy Washington Jr. paved the way for the Vipers with 30 points. Houston Rockets Two-Way players Darius Days and Trevor Hudgins contributed 21 and 20 points, respectively. Lecque finished the game with 16 points. Josh Reaves posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Trhae Mitchell finished the game with 13 points.
The Vipers will take on the Memphis Hustle on Friday, March 31 at 11 a.m. CT at FedExForum during the Conference Semifinals of the 2023 NBA G League Playoffs presented by Google Pixel. For more information visit www.rgvipers.com or www.NBAGLeague.com.
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