SUMMARY
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The Rio Grande Valley Vipers took advantage of a weakened NBA G League Ignite as they cruised to a 130-107 rout on Thursday, March 4 (Friday, March 5, Manila time) at the AdventHealth Arena in the Lake Buena Vista, Florida bubble.
With the win, the Vipers kept their heads above water with an 8-6 record, good for a solo hold on the 8th and final playoff seed with 3 spots left for taking.
Meanwhile, the reeling Ignite dropped their third straight game, and are now on the brink of elimination with a 7-7 slate.
Playing without fellow star prospect Jonathan Kuminga due to a minor left knee injury, Fil-Am high-flyer Jalen Green took on a bigger role, and finished with 22 points on a paltry 6-of-16 clip, and 0-of-7 from downtown.
Brandon Ashley chipped in an 18-point, 14-rebound double-double while prospect big man Isaiah Todd added 16 markers and 7 boards in a spot start for Kuminga.
Building off a red-hot first half where they outgunned Ignite, 64-50, the Vipers started the 3rd quarter with a 15-6 run, and quickly led by 23, 79-56, with 8:26 to go following a Shawn Occeus triple.
Ignite found no answer to Rio Grande’s game-long torrid shooting down the stretch as the Vipers peaked with a 31-point lead in the final frame, 117-86, after a Trevelin Queen jam with 7:32 left.
League-leading scorer and Houston Rockets assignee Kevin Porter Jr came one rebound shy of a triple-double with a game-high 28 points, 10 assists, and 9 boards while Armoni Brooks added 26 markers off the bench.
Five Vipers drilled at least 3 three-pointers in the blowout as Rio Grande finished with a 21-of-50 clip from downtown. Ignite, meanwhile, fired blanks en route to a 5-of-23 clip from distance, and a combined 0-of-11 from Green, Todd, and Nix.
Ignite now face a do-or-die situation in their fading playoff push as they next face the fourth-seeded Austin Spurs on Saturday, March 6 (Sunday, March 7, Manila time). – Rappler.com
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