Vipers Advance To Conference Finals With Victory Over Memphis

Memphis, Tenn. (March 31, 2023) – The Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2-0), the NBA G League affiliate of the Houston Rockets, defeated the Memphis Hustle (0-1) on Friday afternoon at FedEx Forum during the Conference Semifinals of the 2023 NBA G League Playoffs presented by Google Pixel. 

For the first five minutes of the quarter RGV led 12-11. Memphis then came from behind and took a 17-12 lead with 6:22 to go, but RGV took back the lead and sent the game into the second quarter with a score of 34-31. 

RGV had the lead for the first six minutes of the second quarter until Memphis tied it up at 52-52. The Vipers then came back and pulled away with a 66-62 lead at the half. 

The Vipers started off with the lead in the third quarter, but with 8:28 to go Memphis tied the game 70-70. Memphis then pulled away with the lead and maintained it until the clock hit 48 seconds and the Vipers took an 84-83 lead. The game was then sent into the fourth quarter with an 86-85 advantage for RGV. 

During the fourth quarter both teams played a hard-fought battle. Neither team could pull away. With 3:25 to go the game was tied 102-102. After that the game became tied two more times before RGV could fully pull away with a 109-108 victory. 

Houston Rockets assignment TyTy Washington Jr. paved the way for the Vipers with a double-double, 21 points and 11 assists. Houston Rockets Two-Way player Darius Days also had 21 points. Jarrett Culver put up 17 points. Both Josh Reaves and Jalen Lecque finished with 15 points each. Ray Spalding finished the game with 11 points. 

The Vipers will take on the Sioux Falls Skyforce on Sunday, April 2 at 9 p.m. CT at Sanford Pentagon during the Conference Finals of the 2023 NBA G League Playoffs presented by Google Pixel. Fans can stream the game via ESPNU. For more information visit www.rgvipers.com or www.NBAGLeague.com.