Heroic Third Performance Quarter Leads to Vipers Win
February 15, 2017 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rio Grande Valley FC Toros News Release
Hidalgo, Texas - The Rio Grande Valley Vipers (21-14), NBA D-League affiliate of the Houston Rockets, came out on top of the Texas Legends (15-18) on a Valentine's Day showdown. The Vipers defeated the Legends 141-133 after recuperating from a 17-point deficit.
Kyle Wiltjer, the scoring leader for the Vipers, scored 29 points. Two RGV players recorded double-doubles. Darius Morris had 26 points and 14 assists. Chinanu Onuaku scored 26 points and 12 rebounds. Ben Gordon scored 29 points for the Texas Legends.
The RGV Vipers started the first half chasing the Legends. Ben Gordon's 13 points in the opening quarter established the rhythm for the away team. The momentum resulted in Texas extending their lead to double-digits in the first quarter.
Jameel Warney scored nine points coming out of the bench in the second quarter, which helped the Legends hold on to their lead. Isaiah Taylor did his part for the Vipers scoring 12 points in the half. RGV trailed 73-77.
Kyle Wiltjer put his shooting skills on display in the third quarter, scoring 23 points to shift momentum toward the Vipers' side. Rio Grande Valley's defense stepped up and limited the Texas offense to just 20 points in the third to capture the 112-97 lead.
Chinanu Onuaku cemented the Viper's advantage in the fourth. Onuaku scored 11 points and collected 8 rebounds on the closing minutes of the game. The Vipers extended their winning streak to three games with the 141-133 win. The Vipers have not lost a game when shooting at a 50% percent or better.
The Rio Grande Valley Vipers will hit the road next to face Fort Wayne Mad Ants on Friday, February 24.
About the RGV Vipers and NBA Development League
The two-time champion Rio Grande Valley Vipers are the NBA Development League affiliate of the NBA Houston Rockets. The Vipers won the NBA Development League Championship in 2010 and 2013. In 2013, the Vipers were also named the NBA Development League Development Champions, which recognizes the team that best embodies the NBA D-League's goals of developing NBA-caliber basketball talent via call-ups and assignments. The NBA Development League is the NBA's official minor league, preparing players, coaches, officials, trainers, and front-office staff for the NBA while acting as the league's research and development laboratory. Featuring 18 teams with direct affiliations to NBA franchises, the league offers professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. In fostering the league's connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. Fans can watch all NBA D-League games on nbadleague.com.
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- Heroic Third Performance Quarter Leads to Vipers Win - Rio Grande Valley FC Toros
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