Vipers Going to NBADL Finals
Published on April 21, 2010 under NBA G League (G League)
Rio Grande Valley Vipers News Release
HIDALGO, TEXAS - NBA Development League MVP and Houston Rockets-assignee Mike Harris picked up an offensive rebound and a lay-up with 8.0 seconds left to give the Western Conference Champion and second-seeded Rio Grande Valley Vipers a 99-98 victory over the third-seeded Austin Toros in game three of the NBADL Semifinals tonight at State Farm Arena in front of a crowd of 4,826 to win the series 2-1.
The Vipers (4-2) will face the eighth-seeded Tulsa 66ers (4-2) in the NBADL Finals in Tulsa for game one and at State Farm Arena for games two and three (if necessary). Dates and times for the Finals are expected to be announced tomorrow.
The Vipers opened the quarter on an 8-1 run to take an 87-76 with 8:58 remaining. San Antonio Spurs-assignee Curtis Jerrells hit a jumper with 2:57 remaining to give the Toros (3-3) the lead back at 91-90. With 1:06 left, Harris came up with a slam dunk to tie the game at 95-95. Craig Winder banked in a shot with 31.3 seconds left to give the Vipers a 97-95 lead, but Marcus Williams converted a three-point play to give the Toros the lead back at 98-97 with 23.3 seconds left. After Harris gave the Vipers the lead off of a Will Conroy miss, Jerrells committed an offensive foul while trying to give the Toros the lead with 1.4 seconds left to give the Vipers the ball back.
Harris finished with a team-high 23 points and a game-high 12 rebounds while also recording six assists, three steals and one block. Conroy scored 14 points with six rebounds and eight assists. Jerrells led all scorers with 29 points.
The Vipers opened the game on an 8-0 run after Antonio Anderson and Harris hit three-pointers and Jonathan Wallace hit a lay-up. The Toros got to within 14-13 at the 6:16 mark, but the Vipers responded with a 7-2 run to go up 21-15.
Anderson finished with 20 points, four rebounds, six assists, one steal and one block.
The Vipers took a 32-24 lead 1:18 into the second quarter, but Jerrells scored six points during an 8-0 run to tie the game for the first time with 6:43 remaining. The Toros took their first lead at 36-34 when Spurs-assignee Alonzo Gee hit a lay-up.
Gee scored 19 points to go with 10 rebounds while teammate Eddie Basden added a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Jerrells sparked a 14-2 Toros run to open the third quarter by making two three-pointers and a lay-up to give Austin a 58-51 lead. Williams hit a pair of free throws with 6:05 left to give the Toros a 64-59 lead, but the Vipers responded with a 20-8 run, capped by Rich Melzer and Wallace three-pointers to give the Vipers a 79-72 lead.
NBA G League Stories from April 21, 2010
- Vipers Going to NBADL Finals - Rio Grande Valley Vipers
- Stampede Welcome New Staff Member - Idaho Stampede
- NBA D-League Daily Developments - G League
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