D-Fenders drop Vipers 108-90 in L.A.
February 20, 2009 - NBA G League (G League)
Rio Grande Valley Vipers News Release
LOS ANGELES, California-
The Rio Grande Valley Vipers shot just 33% from the field and lost their fifth straight contest as they dropped a 108-90 decision to the Los Angeles D-Fenders Friday night at STAPLES Center. The Vipers never led in the game and had the game tied only briefly early.
The Vipers tied the game 4-4 early in the first quarter on a jump shot by Jared Jordan. The Vipers would not score again until the 5:31 mark while the D-Fenders went on an 8-0 run. The D-Fenders outscored RGV 25-15 in the first quarter. Los Angeles led by as many as 22 points and the Vipers would not get within 11 points the entire second half.
Trent Strickland struggled to find his shot, but still scored a team high 23-points while hauling in 11 rebounds. Jawad Williams played just 22 minutes an scored just eight points on 1-7 shooting after scoring a Vipers season high 43 points on Wednesday night in Anaheim. Marcus Hubbard also notched a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. Craig Winder also chipped in with 18 points in the Viper loss.
D-Fenders guard Joe Crawford led all scores with 25 points while adding five rebounds and three assists. Three other D-Fenders notched double-doubles. Dwayne Mitchell scored 22, Ryan Forehan-kelly scored 10 and was two assits shy of a triple-double, and Brandon Heath scored 21. All three double-double players hauled in 10 rebounds.
The Vipers will finish their three-game West Coast road trip in Bakersfield on Saturday night as they face the Jam. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 pm PT.
The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are a professional basketball team in the NBA Development League (NBA D-League). The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA's official minor league and features 16 teams with direct affiliations to NBA teams. The league has produced 15 percent of the players on 2007-08 end-of-season NBA rosters and continues to develop current NBA coaches and referees. In fostering the league's connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote youth basketball, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. The NBA D-League also advances the game of basketball as the research and development arm of the NBA. Throughout this season fans can watch all NBA D-League games on NBA Futurecast, the free live Web-streaming initiative found at nba.com/futurecast. The Vipers NBA affiliates are the Houston Rockets, and the New Orleans Hornets.
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