RGV Vipers Take 131-122 Win over Texas Legends
January 30, 2016 - NBA G League (G League)
Rio Grande Valley Vipers News Release
HIDALGO, Texas - The Rio Grande Valley Vipers (15-13) topped the Texas Legends (15-12) 131-122 tonight at State Farm Arena.
Raphiael Putney led the Vipers with 26 points and 17 rebounds. Jaron Johnson added 23 points. Will Cummings scored 21 points and 8 assists. Houston Rockets assignee K.J. McDaniels added 18 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. Matt Carlino scored a season-high 14 points and shot 4-for-6 from three-point range. Chris Walker chipped in 11 points. Rockets assignee Donatas Motiejunas scored 10 points and 7 rebounds in his first game this season with the Vipers.
The Vipers shot 50.5 percent from the field and are 8-0 when shooting above .500. RGV also set a season-high with 28 assists.
Brandon Ashley led the Legends with 29 points and 11 rebounds. Tu Holloway recorded 24 points, followed by Allen Durham with 23 points. Jamil Wilson scored 18 points, and Patrick Miller added 16 points.
Ashley scored the first basket of the game to put Texas on the board 2-0. Johnson responded with a three-pointer to get the Vipers offense started. The lead changed three times during the quarter. McDaniels made two free throws to send RGV on an 11-0 run to take a 16-8 advantage with 6:33 on the clock. At the end of the first quarter, RGV lead 41-31.
The Vipers used the second quarter to continue to build their lead. RGV outscored Texas 33-30. Putney scored 14 of his 26 total points to lead RGV. Holloway scored 11 of his 16 total points in the second quarter to keep Texas fighting. At the half, RGV lead 74-61. RGV's 74 first-half points ties the team's season-high for points in a half. RGV scored 74 points in the second-half of its Jan. 9 win over Raptors 905.
The Vipers held on to their lead throughout the second half. They outscored the Legends 32-26 in the third quarter. However, Texas fought back in the final frame. Ashley scored 13 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter to help the Legends outscore RGV 29-18. The Legends comeback was not enough to outlast RGV. The Vipers won 124-116.
The Vipers embark on a three-game road trip next week leading up to the 2016 NBA All-Star Break. RGV visits the Bakersfield Jam Thursday, Feb. 4 at 9 p.m. (CST). Then, the Vipers head to Los Angeles Saturday, Feb. 6 at 8:30 p.m. (CST). The Vipers finish the trip with an 11 a.m. (CST) Kids Day game at Austin on Tuesday, Feb. 9.
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NBA G League Stories from January 30, 2016
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- Blue Falls Short in Los Angeles - Oklahoma City Blue
- Legends' Rally Falls Short against Vipers - Texas Legends
- Westchester Hands Sioux Falls Second Home Loss this Season - Sioux Falls Skyforce
- RGV Vipers Take 131-122 Win over Texas Legends - Rio Grande Valley Vipers
- Austin Wins Back To Back Games Against Idaho With 104-103 Victory - Idaho Stampede
- Mad Ants Come from Behind to Get Big Win at Home - Indiana Mad Ants
- Austin Wins Back-To-Back Games against Idaho with 104-103 Thriller Saturday Night - Austin Spurs
- Westchester Knicks Extract Revenge over the Sioux Falls Skyforce - Westchester Knicks
- Charge Finish Strong January with Victory in Iowa - Cleveland Charge
- Iowa Energy Fall to Canton Charge - Iowa Wolves
- Drive Can't Overcome Big Game by Former Player Sam Thompson, Fall to Delaware 135-119 - Grand Rapids Drive
- Ejim, Payne Power BayHawks to Victory - Erie BayHawks
- Mad Ants Drop Red Claws - Maine Celtics
- Raptors 905's franchise-record winning streak stopped at six games - Raptors 905
- Lakers Assign Tarik Black to D-Fenders - Los Angeles D-Fenders
- Fwd: Rockets Assign K.J. McDaniels and Donatas Motiejunas to Rio Grande Valley - Rio Grande Valley Vipers
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- Jam Top Warriors 123-108 - Bakersfield Jam
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