Dec 19, 2009

VIPERS DROP SECOND STRAIGHT IN OT LOSS TO TULSA




GAME RECAP

 The Rio Grande Valley Vipers surrendered an 11 point fourth quarter lead and missed several opportunities late, as they dropped their second straight game 94-89 to the Tulsa 66ers in overtime Saturday night at the Tulsa Convention Center. Saturday gave the Vipers their first pair of consecutive losses during the 2009-10 season.

The Vipers began the game sluggish offensively for the second straight night shooting just 39% at the end of the first period and trailing Tulsa 20-16. Vipers trailed by only one at halftime after outscoring Tulsa 21-18 in the second stanza.

The Vipers began the third quarter hot and looked like they would pull away. They scored 10 of the first 13 points in the third frame and eventually outscored Tulsa 35-23 in the period to take an 11 point lead into the final frame. In the fourth quarter Tulsa exploded on a 20-2 run and led 81-74 with four minutes remaining in regulation. The Vipers would answer back with a 9-2 run of their own to close out the quarter and had a chance to take the lead before Tulsa final fourth quarter possession, but Viper forward Mike Harris missed the first of his two free throws and could only tie the game at 83. Mustafa Shakur missed a jumper on Tulsa’s final possession of regulation, and Garrett Temple missed a fall-away jumper at the buzzer from 18 feet out to send the game into the extra session.

The Vipers once again struggled to find the bucket in overtime. With RGV down 91-89 the Vipers had three consecutive possessions on which they could have tied or taken the lead. The most dramatic of which involved a designed play out of time out for Ernest Scott who missed a three-point attempt from the top of the key with 15 seconds left on the game clock.

 Harris netted a new career high for points with 35 on Saturday night. Harris added 12 rebounds to tally his second double-double of the season. Houston assignee Joey Dorsey added his fifth double-double of the season, scoring 10 points and tying his season high with 18 rebounds. Antonio Anderson scored 17 while Garrett Temple added sixteen to round out the double-digit scorers for RGV. Larry Owens led the scoring output for Tulsa with 19, while Mustafa Shakur added 13 points and six assists in the winning effort.

The Vipers return home Monday for the first of three straight games at Dodge Arena when they host the Reno Bighorns. Former Vipers Desmon Farmer and Marcus Hubbard will make their returns to Dodge Arena in visiting uniforms. Tip-off from Hidalgo is schedule for 7:30 pm




Vipers vs Tulsa 12-19-09 Pre-Game


Tulsa Convention Center - 7:00 PM Tip


Greetings from Tulsa... for the final time this season. Yes the schedule makers in the D-League have given us two trips to Tulsa which happens to be our second closest league opponent, but they are both within the first 9 games of the season.  Very odd, but our trips to Tulsa come to an end tonight.


OK lets talk about last night... but please not for long. The effort by the Vipers last night was non-existent. RGV had an abysmal third quarter. Tulsa began the stanza on a 22-2 run, after they already led by nine at half-time, and ran their lead to 29 which put the game out of reach early in the second half.


The Vipers didn't dominate the boards, they didn't distribute the ball well, and they did NOT shoot the three well either. The Vipers were taking poor shots, contested threes, threes in transition, and were missing lay-ups. Look for the lack of effort to change tonight.


I mentioned to Coach Finch in our pre-game interview that sometimes teams who are winning, but not playing at their best need to get "punched in the mouth" in order to wake up. He agreed and said he got punched in a few other places last night, I agreed.


Once again OKC asignee Byron Mullens is listed as questionable and won't play. I have not seen him in the building. It is likely that he is in OKC getting treatment on his undisclosed injury. I am sure its no where near as gruesome as the one Carl Landry sustained last night in Dallas. OUCH. But hey that's one way to get Dirk out of game... lodge three pieces of your teeth in his elbow.










Pre-game show for tonight begins at 6:50. Tip-off will be somewhere around 7:10. Follow all the action on 104.9 JACK FM. OR don't forget to watch the game, (with the radio up of course) on NBA Futurecast




Vipers starters remain the same


C - Joey Dorsey
F - Mike Harris
F - Antonio Anderson
G - Garrett Temple
G - Jonathan Wallace.


for Tulsa here are their starters


C - Steven Hill
F - Larry Owens...(he was money last night)
F - Cecil Brown .. (two points off his career high last night)
G - Mustafa Shakur.
G - Moses Ehambe.


PS. Don't forget to stop by the Vipers pro-shop at 4500 North 10th Street in McAllen. We have a great holiday package available. Check out the details HERE

Dec 18, 2009

VIPERS WIN STREAK COMES TO AN END IN TULSA




TULSA, Oklahoma – The Tulsa 66ers expanded on their nine point half time lead by starting the third quarter on a 22-2 run to put the game out of reach as they ended the Rio Grande Valley Vipers six-game win streak with a 108 -90 win Friday night at the Tulsa Convention Center. The loss was just the Vipers second of the season with both defeats coming on the road.

Friday’s game looked like it would be a tight game early. The two squads traded the lead 14 times in the first 12 minutes. The 66ers then led by as many as 11 in the first half. The Vipers notched the final basket of the second quarter, a late lay-up by Antonio Anderson hoping it could lead to a momentum boost to start the second half. That boost did not happen as the 66ers outscored RGV 34-21 in the third stanza of hoops to take an 89-67 lead into the fourth quarter.

“We didn’t come to play tonight,” Vipers Head Coach Chris Finch said. “I could kind of smell this one coming, we had a good week of practice but were not ready to play this one tonight.”

Mike Harris, the D-League’s second leading scorer, tallied 17 of his 19 points in the first half while chipping in with six rebounds in the loss for the Vipers. Antonio Anderson scored 17 of his team high 23 points in the second half while also dishing out a team high six assists. Houston Rockets assignee Joey Dorsey finished a rebound shy of a double-double as he added 11 points, scoring all of them in the first half.

Tulsa’s Larry Owens led their scoring output with 27 points, chipping in with seven boards and four assists in the win for the 66ers. Mustafa Shakur dominated the point guard match-up scoring 16 points dishing out eight assists and hauling in six boards with just one turnover. Cecil Brown knocked down four three-point hoops and scored 22 points, just one off of his season high.

The Vipers and 66ers will meet again Saturday night at the Tulsa Convention Center. It will be the final time the Vipers will play a game in Tulsa during the 2009-10 season. Tip-off  for the re-match is schedule for 7:30 pm. Viper fans can follow all the action on the radio by tuning in to104.9 JACK FM.



GAME PREVIEW 12/18/09 - VIPERS (6-1) vs Tulsa 66ers (4-5)




Tulsa Convention Center

Game #8 - Road Game # 5 - RGV record vs. Tulsa in 2009-10: (2-0)


Greetings from Tulsa, OK. The Vipers will try for the their 7th straight if they can get another road win in Tulsa. The last time RGV was in Tulsa they struggled in the first half, mostly due to an early and topsy-turvy travel day on the second half of a back to back. The Vipers rallied in the second two periods to knock off Tulsa 94-89. 


First lets break down the 66ers. They have made a few key changes to personnel in the last few days. Forward Keith Clark was waived due to injury earlier in the week, but just today he was re-acquired only to be shipped off to the L.A. D-Fenders for forward Deron Washington. Washington was the third overall selection in the D-League draft by LA and was averaging 9.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists for the D-Fenders before the deal.Devon Hardin was waived due to injury to make room for Washington on the roster.


Guard Zabian Dowdell was also added. Dowdell was a legit scorer and play maker at Virgina Tech and overseas in Italy. He gives Tulsa much better depth at the guard position.


Tulsa also added center Steven Hill back to their roster. He might be the reason for a new player rights rule in the D-League as well. Last season Hill was an assignment player for Oklahoma City in the 2008-09 season. He was waived by the Thunder and could not go back to the 66ers when he signed a D-League contract. He was claimed off of the waiver pool by the Utah Flash and the 66ers had to trade their best player at the time (Ronald Dupree) to Utah to get Hill back. Not only did this deplete the 66ers (who were awful last year) they didn't get to use Hill much as he ended up missing the rest of the season after January 27th. Now the league allows D-League affiliates to retain rights of players who have played or have been on the active roster of an NBA team for a certain period of time. 


One quick note, OKC assignee Byron Mullens is not expected to play tonight. He is a strong offensive player and rebounder for Tulsa do the Vipers depth in this department should shine through. 


Tulsa should be rested for this one. The Vipers will need to play string out of the gate if they are to win their seventh straight.




For the Vipers. How else can I put it, they are the hottest team in the Western Conference. The Vipers are winning at home and on the road and lately have been winning convincingly and not letting games come down to the final possession. 


Vipers Head Coach Chris Finch said at lunch today that he still doesn't know yet how good his team is. The reason? The Vipers have only played three teams in their first seven games. They will only play three different teams in their first nine. Other than their home game Monday versus Reno, the Vipers will play only Tulsa, Austin, and Albuquerque over their first 12 games. The Vipers won't play a team outside their conference until January 9th when they travel to Iowa. 


As for the game tonight expect the Vipers to try to keep the pace up and let the offense of Mike Harris, Garrett Temple, and Antonio Anderson continue to carry them. The point guard match-up is huge. Tulsa point man Mustafa Shakur must be contained and forced to make uncomfortable decisions with the ball. Expect the Vipers to give him a few different defensive looks.


The Vipers in my opinion have better personnel, however that does not always mean a victory for you especially on the road. 


Here are the Vipers starters


C - Joey Dorsey
F - Mike Harris
F- Antonio Anderson
G - Garrett Temple
G - Jonathan Wallace.


UPDATE:


Tulsa brings out this starting line-up


C - Steven Hill
F - Larry Owens
F - Latavious Williams
G - Moses Ehambe
G - Mustafa Shakur


Mullens is not playing and I do not even see him dressed or on the bench yet. Not many other surprises in the starting line-up


Don't forget to follow all the action on 104.9 JACK FM and on NBA Futurecast. Don King is the broadcaster for Tulsa... no... not this Don King. Kinger is one of the Vet broadcasters in the league. He calls a good game and is a heck of a nice guy. He will have the call on Futurecast tonight

Mike Harris featured by the D-League


FINALLY A.D.B. HAS COME BACK TO THE BLOGOSPHERE!!!

Ok so its not as momentous as THIS NEWS out of the pro wrestling world, but hey a broadcaster can dream can't he? After a very long hiatus, ITK (That's stands for IN THE KEY) :) , is back and better than ever. We've gone with a new layout design, currently working on a header, and we hope to put a ton of multi-media stuff on here.

The Professor Jonah Goldberg and I, (ok mostly him) work very hard on putting a lot of our multi-media stuff together for RGVIPERS.com and on the Facebook group, but we figured we had another venue for Vipers info right here so lets utilize it better.

Here are some of the things you will find on ITK moving forward.


  • Home and Road game stories
    • We have done this before and you can find these on the main site. But when the team is on the road the D-League puts up the home team's story. Our game story will have a little more info on the Vipers.
  • Pictures/Video from the road. 
    • I learned shortly after I purchased it that my Iphone takes awesome pictures and video. So I am going to use it to upload random things from time to time from our travels. Expect a lot of pics come D-League showcase time.
  • Random Thoughts. 
    • I like to give my thoughts on potential expansion sites, the D-League's best players etc. You can find those posts here as well.
  • Post-game video blogs. 
    • Here we will also post the video blogs Jonah and I do from the Dodge after homes games. I am also attempting to do a video blog for road games as well. 


I look forward to frequent posts here on the blog and hope we get a ton of feedback. I would like to get a Q and A going with our fans. If you have any questions for us e-mail us at Vipersradio@gmail.com . We would love to hear from you.

I will have a preview for you up on the blog before tonight's game and I will also link to Jonah's game notes as well as soon as they are up.

Don't forget tonight's game will be tipping off at 8pm and not 7pm because of a high school game in Tulsa. You can follow all the action on 104.9 JACK FM or on NBA Futurecast.

That is it for now. I'll chat with you later on tonight.

-ADB

PS here is a pic from today's shoot-around.



Mar 15, 2009

VIPERS SLITHER PAST STAMPEDE WITH OT WIN

Jared Jordan’s jumper with 2:20 remaining in overtime turned out to be the game winner as the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (16-24) knocked off the defending D-League champion Idaho Stampede (25-15) Saturday night at Qwest Arena. With the win the Vipers sweep the season series against Idaho 2-0

Both teams had a chance to win the game near the end of regulation. Idaho had possession of the ball with the game tied at 103 and 23 seconds remaining. Kevin Burleson, in an attempt to find Brent Petway in the right corner for potential game winning jumper, over shot his teammate and threw the ball out of bounds giving the Vipers a chance to win it with 14 seconds remaining in regulation. Trent Strickland missed a jumper as time expired sending the game to overtime.

The Vipers outscored the Stampede 5-3 in the overtime period to earn the victory. It was a tight game from the opening minutes. The Vipers and Stampede traded the lead 21 times and were knotted up eight times. The Vipers are now 3-1 lifetime against defending D-League champions in their history.

Strickland tallied his first double-double since February 20th with a team-high 24 points while hauling in 10 rebounds. Jordan recorded his seventh double-double of the year with 15 points and 13 he assists, finishing three rebounds shy of a triple-double. Jawad Williams scored 22 and Quin Humphrey scored12 to round out the double-digit scorers for RGV.

The Vipers will finish their six game road trip on Friday night when they face the Albuquerque Thunderbirds for the final time this season. Tip-off from Tingley Coliseum is scheduled for 8:00 pm CT.

Mar 12, 2009

COLORADO SWEEPS SERIES OVER RGV WITH 126-109 WIN

March 12, 2009

BROOMFIELD, Colorado-

The Colorado 14ers, led by Colorado assignee Sonny Weems’ 26 points, won the 4th quarter 34-15 en route to a 126-109 victory over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers Thursday night at the Broomfield Event Center. The 14ers closed out the season series with RGV taking all seven match-ups. The loss drops the Vipers franchise’s record against Colorado to 1-14 all time. The win is the fifth straight for the 14ers and the ninth in a row at home.

The Vipers and 14ers fought back and forth for the first three periods. The team’s traded the lead nine times with 11 ties on Thursday. The Vipers had leads in the each of the four quarters but could not hold on. Marcus Hubbard’s three pointer from the top-of-the key with 1:36 remaining capped off a 10-0 run gave the Vipers their largest lead of six points. Rio Grande Valley started the 4th quarter up 94-92.

Despite all kinds of shooting woes in the first three periods the 14ers scored at will to begin the 4th. Weem’s two free throws with 9:21 remaining in the 4th capped off Colorado’s 12-2 run to start the 4th quarter, which gave the 14ers the lead for good. John Lucas scored 13 of his 20 points in Colorado’s huge fourth quarter.

Jawad Williams scored 28 points and hauled in five rebounds to lead all scorers. Kurt Looby posted his sixth double-double of the season with 10 points and 15 rebounds while also swatting five Colorado shots. Quin Humphrey was the only double-digit scorer off the bench for RGV with 16.

Eddie Gill finished two assists shy of a triple-double scoring 16 points and tallying 10 boards. Josh Davis, despite a poor shooting night still scored 17 points and brought down a team high 12 boards.

The Vipers will continue their six game road swing on Saturday night when the Vipers face the defending D-league champion Idaho Stampede at Qwest Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 pm CT

COLORADO SWEEPS SERIES OVER RGV WITH 126-109 WIN

March 12, 2009

BROOMFIELD, Colorado-

The Colorado 14ers, led by Colorado assignee Sonny Weems’ 26 points, won the 4th quarter 34-15 en route to a 126-109 victory over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers Thursday night at the Broomfield Event Center. The 14ers closed out the season series with RGV taking all seven match-ups. The loss drops the Vipers franchise’s record against Colorado to 1-14 all time. The win is the fifth straight for the 14ers and the ninth in a row at home.

The Vipers and 14ers fought back and forth for the first three periods. The team’s traded the lead nine times with 11 ties on Thursday. The Vipers had leads in the each of the four quarters but could not hold on. Marcus Hubbard’s three pointer from the top-of-the key with 1:36 remaining capped off a 10-0 run gave the Vipers their largest lead of six points. Rio Grande Valley started the 4th quarter up 94-92.

Despite all kinds of shooting woes in the first three periods the 14ers scored at will to begin the 4th. Weem’s two free throws with 9:21 remaining in the 4th capped off Colorado’s 12-2 run to start the 4th quarter, which gave the 14ers the lead for good. John Lucas scored 13 of his 20 points in Colorado’s huge fourth quarter.

Jawad Williams scored 28 points and hauled in five rebounds to lead all scorers. Kurt Looby posted his sixth double-double of the season with 10 points and 15 rebounds while also swatting five Colorado shots. Quin Humphrey was the only double-digit scorer off the bench for RGV with 16.

Eddie Gill finished two assists shy of a triple-double scoring 16 points and tallying 10 boards. Josh Davis, despite a poor shooting night still scored 17 points and brought down a team high 12 boards.

The Vipers will continue their six game road swing on Saturday night when the Vipers face the defending D-league champion Idaho Stampede at Qwest Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 pm CT

Colorado vs. RGV 1-12-09 2nd Half

6:29 remaining in the third. Colorado leads 78-74

Both teams have scored 12 so far in the third. Vipers need to shoot their free throws better only 48% from the charity stripe


1:59 remaining in the third Vipers lead 87-84

Vipers are on a 13-6 run and have taken the lead on Colorado. The three-point shooting woes are really hurting the 14ers. Colorado is just 2/17 from downtown. Josh Davis is 6/16 from the field but 0/4 from 3. If the Vipers could make free throws they would be up big


End of the 3rd Vipers lead 94-92

The Vipers continue to force Colorado to shoot from the outside right now because right now they aren't making their threes. Whatever works I guess. RGV outscored the 14ers in the third 32-26. I  can't remember the last time we held Colorado to fewer than 20 points in a quarter... We'll get our interns on that one.... Oh by the way the 147 points from Tuesday is a D-League record.



9:21 remaining in regulation 14ers lead 102-96.

Colorado has  started the 4th on a 10-2 run thanks mostly to Sonny Weems. FYI 'Melo Anthony and some other Nuggets are in the building tonight to watch Sonny Weems play.


6:27 remaining in regulation 14ers lead 113-101. 


Colorado isn't missing. John Lucas has taken a step or two in and the Vipers are taking bad shots.. and missing them. Colarod is outscoring the Vipers 21-7 in the quarter so far.


Game Over Colorado wins 126-109.

Colorado and Eddie Gill live for the 4th quarter that was no different again tonight. Re-cap coming later on.

Colorado vs. RGV 1-12-09 1st Half Running Blog

5:59 Remaining 14ers lead 17-12

The Vipers are trading baskets right now with Colorado, well at least they were early. The Vipers are making Colorado shoot outside jumpers rather than the lay-ups they were getting on Tuesday. The problem? Colorado isn't missing right now. Free throws coming up for Looby out of the time out..

2:52 remaining 14ers lead 29-21

Why is Sonny Weems in the D-League? He just threw another one down alley-oop style and made a bad John Lucas pass look good. The pass was behind Weems, he caught it with one hand from behind and slug his arm up and forward for a thunderous slam...Still not enough stops for the Vipers...

End of the 1st 14ers lead 35-28

Right now the teams continue to go back and forth. Neither team is going on a run, and that may be good for the Vipers. The Vipers have more points in the paint 24-14. Meaning a lot of Colorado's points are coming from jumpers. Make a team beat you with outside shots. That's the only way to beat Colorado. Another important number Fastbreak points. Vipers with 6. Colorado with only 2


2:56 remaining in the half Game Tied at 55

The Vipers had a lead for a bit as they led 54-48 at one point. But Colorado is on a 7-1 run to tie the game back at 55-55. 


Halftime 14ers lead 66-62

Colorado always comes back... a little run at the end of the 2nd has the 14ers back on top at the intermission

Vipers vs. Colorado March 12th Pre-Game

Back we are at the phenomenal Broomfield Event Center. It will be the last time the Vipers will take on the 14ers this season, and perhaps ever unless someone buys this team and does a MUCH better job of marketing it to Broomfield and the outlying communities. Crowds here are sparse to say the least and with the problems that Tim Wiens (Owner of the 14ers and Rocky Mountain Rage) is having it is unlikely that the 14ers will survive. Although the league is pretty adamant about not letting teams die. We will have to just wait and see I guess.

As for the game, the Vipers will need to get off to a much better start than they did on Tuesday when they were down 30-20 at the end of the first and shooting the ball at a 9/31 clip. That's just not gonna get it done. As I've said before the 14ers are the Mongoose to our Snake, Or is it the Snake to our Mongoose?? Either way it's bad... I don't know animals. :)

The Vipers are 1-13 against Colorado... 0-6 in Broomfield...I'd like to say they are due...but Colorado is the best team in the league. I don't think its close. But I don't think they will win the 2009 D-league Championship. They just remind me too much of Phoenix and in a one and done, a bad shooting night for Colorado could mean an early exit. I am going to try to blog during the game. But the info at each time-out will be short. 

We are the only night game in the D-League tonight. Iowa lost to Tulsa 108-107 in overtime... (wait what?) Yes the Tulsa 66ers beat one of the best teams in the D-League on their home floor earlier today. Don't know how that happened. But hey if there is one upset in the league today, why can't we have another one in Broomfield tonight?

Starters are out here they are

RIO GRANDE VALLEY VIPERS
  • G- Jared Jordan
  • G-Stanley Asumnu
  • C- Kurt Looby
  • F- Jawad Williams
  • F- Trent Strickland
COLORADO 14ERS

  • G - Eddie Gill
  • G - Dominique Coleman
  • C - Joe Dabbert
  • F- Trey Gilder
  • F- Josh Davis
Tip-off is coming up shortly... check out all the action on ESPN 1240-AM.. Or you can watch on Futurecast and listen to Chad Andrus who is one of the better broadcasters in the D-League...Or follow the live stats on D-League.com

D-League Expansion..Rumblings.. etc.

A lot has been happening around the D-League lately. There has been a lot happening around the Vipers as well. I apologize for not updating In the Key a little more often. The travel has been crazy and I have taken on some new responsibilities as well. But I should be able to spend a few minutes to blog.So here I am.

I posted several weeks back about possible D-League expansion. D-League Maine has already been announced. Congrats to Abby Pierce who is head of their marketing efforts. She was in RGV when we started up and I think she's awesome. Maine made a good hire. They will be the Maine (Insert Nickname here). They want to market to the whole state and didn't want to be confused with the Trailblazers home city. They also will not be the Shamrocks... which I thought would have been awesome since they will unofficially-officially be the Celtics affiliate. You can help choose the name HERE.

Now you can't just add one team right? But where else is the D-League expanding to? There were a lot of rumors and the D-League did a great job this year of keeping the potential additions hush-hush as opposed to last year when we all knew it was Erie and Reno. We knew about Portland since last season, but the 18th team was a mystery. Just rumors. Well it appears the secret is out finally as Springfield, MA (the home to Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and the birthplace of basketball) will be home to a D-league franchise. 

It will be interesting to see who Springfield will be affiliated with since Boston appears to be going to Maine. Although I think it doesn't really matter it's out in Western, MA. You could easily put the Nets, Sixers or, Knicks in this same area. Or even both NJ and NYK. 

The real questions is will the D-League be at 18 teams next year? Or will it still be 16? We have documented on this blog before and Scott over a RU has as well, the financial problems the Colorado 14er owners are having. The word on the street is that Anaheim may be in even worse shape than that of Colorado...If that is even possible. It's a shame that the nicest building in the D-league (Not named Staples Center) may not be back but it could be a reality. Kroenke apparently would only have interest in managing the arena... not buying the 14ers, and it doesn't appear anyone wants to buy the team and move it to Loveland, CO to the Budweiser Events Center. Will the league operate this team until a buyer can be found? Will the new "Hybrid Affiliation System" change the Nuggets mind? I guess we will have to wait and see.

I will post my thoughts on the Hybrid System soon.. I want to get more details and get some thoughts from D-League coaches. 

I will post a brief pre-game blog before tonight's game versus Colorado as soon as I get to the building. 

Mar 11, 2009

14ERS SCORE TEAM RECORD 147 POINTS IN WIN OVER RGV

March 11, 2009

BROOMFIELD, Colorado-

The Colorado 14ers scored a franchise record for points, including 49 in the fourth quarter, and led from the opening tip as they knocked off the Rio Grande Valley Vipers 147-119 Tuesday night at the Broomfield Event Center. The 147 points is the most Rio Grande Valley has ever allowed in franchise history. The win for Colorado extends their home win streak to eight straight and their fourth straight overall. The loss ends RGVs season high three game win streak. RGV is now 1-13 lifetime versus Colorado.

Rio Grande Valley struggled from the opening tip. The Vipers could not find the bottom of the hoop in the opening frame as the shot 29% from the field and were outscored 30-20. The Vipers could not stop the bleeding in the second frame. Julian Sensely’s jumper with 5:54 remaining in the half capped off a 22-4 Colorado run that ran their lead to 28 points. The Vipers did manage to close out the quarter on a 15-5 run to cut the deficit to 18 at the break.

The Vipers attempted to chip away at Colorado’s lead in the second half, cutting the deficit to as few as 11 on a Craig Winder three-point play with 6:18 remaining. Colorado pulled away outscoring RGV 49-40 in the 4th to finish off the win.

Williams’ 29 points led Rio Grande Valley’s scoring load. Kurt Looby tallied another double-double with 10 points and 12 boards. Denver assignee Sonny Weems led the 14ers in scoring with 27 points. Eddie Gill scored 21 and dished out five assists in the Colorado win.

The Vipers will play Colorado for the final time in 2008-09 on Thursday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 pm at the Broomfield Event Center.

Mar 10, 2009

Running Game Blog 3-10-09 vs. Colorado 2nd Half

The second half is about to begin, and I am still not one the air. The phone line guy for the arena is here and working on the issue. Still no go. I have never had phone line issues here. This isn't Chad Andrus's fault. He's always got stuff goin right. Erin Pahl too. This is the arena being terrible...Hmm where have I heard that before..

Phone works now... If you want to listen to the game head on over to 1240 AM ASAP.

5:43 remaining in the 3rd. Colorado leads 75-64

The Vipers are starting to chip away at this Colorado . They've score 19 points so far in the 3rd.  The Vipers are doing a much better job at making Colorado work.


2:48 Colorado leads 85-70

After the Vipers cut it down to 11. It's been back and forth ever since. The lead has stayed between 13-15 the last few minutes. Jawad continues to dominate for RGV. Weems for Colorado.. although it is Gill who leads Colorado in scoring with 14.


End of the 3rd Qtr. Colorado leads 98-79

That's it... Eddie Gill just gets up for RGV. His first game with the club this year after no practice... he nearly gets a triple double. By the way did I mention tonight is the one year anniversery of Eddie Gill's 15 assist performance against us. That is by the way the most assists an opponent has had against RGV in their history.. I am just saying.. 


5:17 remaining in 4th Qtr Colorado leads 118-104

The Vipers have made this interesting, but it could be too little too late.The Vipers have cut the deficit to 11 a few times in this 2nd half... but Colorado comes back each and every time and pushes it to 15 16 or 18. It has been the second unit shining for RGV with a lot of hustle and slashes to the basket.


Game Over... Vipers lose 147-119

Colorado scored 49 points in the 4th.

Re-cap is coming soon...

Running Game Blog 3-10-09 vs. Colorado 1st Half



I am having technical issues with my radio broadcast tonight, which hopefully will be alleviated by the 2nd quarter. But for you will have to settle for the blog. (Which I know hasn't been updated in forever).

6:09 remaining Colorado 18  Rio Grande Valley 10

The 14ers have gotten out to a hot start. What else is new?  Colorado is 6/8 from the field, RGV is 5/18 from the field. The Vipers need to start better and dig out of this hole... and fast. 

In case you didn't know the Vipers are 1-12 lifetime versus the 14ers. They would love a reversal of fortunes in a rivalry (can you call it that?) That has been ALL COLORADO.

More updates as we move along..

It is always tough to play in this building. Why? BECAUSE THERE IS NEVER ANYONE HERE!!. The financial problems of Colorado's ownership has been well documented. Don't forget that the altitude plays a factor and the floor has the tendency to be a little slippery. I hope Colorado doesn't go away next season. Wait... what am I saying. No in all seriousness. I love their building, the town, the front office, the press table. This is a trip I always look forward to. Except for the 0-5 record here in the Broomfield Event Center. I hope they find a buyer for the team. But in this financial landscape, I find it highly unlikely.


1:00 min remaining in the 1st Qtr. Colorado leads 27-20.

We got our first look at John Lucas III. He's a guy that's as good as any point guard in the NBA, but his size limits him tremendously. Right now they have Lucas and Gill on the floor at the same time. Gill is struggling right now he already has 4 turnovers, but he does have 4 points. (One turnover was Dominique Coleman not paying attention so I'll spot Gill one)

Coach said before the game that Jared could have 25 assists in this game... well he has 5 already. Not quite on pace for 25... but pretty close. The Vipers have closed the gap.. but need more defensive stops... or of course Colorado could miss a few shots...(sigh) wishful thinking sometimes.


End of 1st Qtr. Colorado leads 30-20

The Vipers can't buy a bucket tonight. We've seen a couple airballs and a ton of shots that haven't been close. Colorado does a nice job of switching up their defenses. Half court trap, zone defense, etc. RGV is shooting a terrible 29% right now. They need to find some offense somewhere. so far Jawad Williams leads the team in scoring with 6. 


Can I just say that Eddie Gill is another one of those players you love when he is on your team, but loathe when he is a opponent. Not just because he's good... which Gill is. But he's good and he plays hard, and with a little bit of a swagger...I love to hate Eddie Gill. He reminds me a little bit of Stockton...you know as a player you love to hate.


8:52 remaining 2nd Qtr Colorado leads 42-24. 

12-4 run to start the second period for Colorado. They are absolutely relentless. They just keep coming at you and THEY DONT MISS SHOTS. They are like the Mike D'Antoni Phoenix Suns... a ton of points... no defense. Maybe that's why their the best regular season team in D-league history. But with no championship to show for it.  Did I mention every 14er who has entered the game has scored. This may be a long night.

 
6:34 remaining 2nd Qtr Colorado leds 50-24. 

Did I say 12-4 run? I meant 20-4 run. No offense...We've been scoring at will lately. Just not tonight. Colorado is not good defensively we just cannot make shots. RGV is 11/38 from the field. Math majors that's 28.9 %. Last time a team won shooting under 30% from the field. They were still shooting at peach baskets with no holes on the bottom. 

By the way Sonny Weems is REALLY GOOD! He has nine points, two alley oop dunks, but the second was not intended to be an ally-oop just a pass to him in the lane. But he was so athletic he caught the ball while jumping and still elevated above the rim for he Jam. With the way the Nuggets have been playing lately. I think they should call him back up, like tomorrow.  Please?!

Ok It's official. The 14ers are the Utah Jazz of the D-League. For a team who is up... 58-33 as I write this, they COMPLAIN about EVERY CALL. Pick your Jazz team.. the late 90's team or the current Jazz team. They are exactly the same. I know. I know I am a Rockets fan, so I am supposed to hate the Jazz... but the 14ers are the Jazz... don't try to argue this point with me.... jus't don't. I mean D-league fans of other teams....do you or do you not hate the Colorado 14ers... I rest my case.

Halftime - Colorado leads 63-45.

In the imortal words of this guy "AYE AYE AYE AYE AYE" We just cannot buy a bucket right now. Meanwhile the 14ers continue to do what they do. Score, SCORE  and SCORE MORE!! It will be interesting to see what happens to the rights to all of the players if the 14ers don't come back. Six 14er players have eight or nine points. No one is in double-figures for them. Lucas and Weems both have five assists.

On the Viper end of things Jawad has been getting to the foul line where he was 8-8 to aid in his 14 point first half. RGV still shooting an AWFUL 33.3 % from the field including 1/10 from downtown. RGV will have a tough time coming back in this one sorry to say. Unless Colorado misses a bunch of shots.. and when I say a bunch... I mean like...35+ The 14ers don't surrender big half time leads... they just don't. The Vipers may have to play for Thursday now and watch their minutes for guys like Jordan, Williams, and Strickland.

FYI last time we were here , there was no William T. Goat and no dancers. Today we have both. Too bad they are performing in front of a crowd of about... 200, and I am not joking. This is the best facility in the D-League. I hope I get to come back. SOMEONE BUY THE 14ers!!!

Jan 23, 2009

Jordan out 2-3 Weeks and other Rumblings.

The Vipers continue to be snake-bitten... No pun intended... I am really bad with that. Jordan suffered a high left ankle sprain in the third quarter on Wednesday night's loss to Tulsa. Jordan is expected to miss three, perhaps even four games. He did not travel with the team yesterday and is in RGV recuperating.

Obviously this is tough for both Jordan..who had been playing out of his find the last few games for RGV. Also the Vipers will have to entrust Mo Carter with the offense for the time being.... did I mention the next four games are against Austin (1st SW Division) and Colorado (2nd SW Division) who the Vipers are a combined 0-4 against this year... YIKES.

Coach Moser has been workin the phones a lot so I expect some moves to be made...I don't know what he has planned, but all I can say is stay tuned.

OTHER NOTES

A lot of people have been asking me about any new teams for next year in the D-League....I think there may be some interesting changes next year and they don't just include expansion cities, but perhaps some teams being re-located, sold, or folding. The state of our US economy has not been kind to minor-league sports and lets face it, there are some teams in this league that just don't work. There are some markets with little to no fan support, and others who do really well. Minor league teams will always last until the fans stop coming or the sponsorship pool runs dry.

This news broke about Colorado...I have to say it doesn't surprise me. Broomfield is way to close to Denver and if I have a choice of wether to go to a Nuggets game or a 14ers game... what do you think I am going to choose. The development around the arena is going to be awesome... but they almost built the event center too close to Denver and not around anything else. The fact is they should have built that arena closer to Boulder. It looks as if Rio Rancho, NM is having similar problems with their CHL team. Global keeps building these arenas where no one lives. Rio Rancho is too far outside Albuquerque for them to draw much from those bigger cities into the suburbs.

But, back to Colorado, I think the D-League has a few options... (also it depends on who is managing the building)

1. Sell the team to the Nuggets and have them operate it and keep it in Broomfield
It seems as if Kroenke sports group may be interested in managing the facility. If that happens I would also expect the Nuggets to buy the 14ers and keep them alive in Broomfield. The development will eventually happen around there and if it is a separate front office... (currently their front office works hockey, basketball, and events at the same time)

2. Sell the team to the Nuggets and move them to Loveland, CO
Loveland-Ft. Collins would be a nice little extension of the Nuggets much like Austin is for the San Antonio Spurs. It is far enough away that it is a separate market of fans who aren't likely to make the drive to Denver everyday. But its close enough that everyone in Loveland who is a basketball fan is a Nuggets fan. The CHL team at the BEC has sold out every game since they opened the building 6 years ago. The D-League would salivate at selling out half the games in the same period. The one problem is... the Eagles are king in that building. Battle for quality dates would be tough...but if the Nuggets own the team that may not be a problem and the Eagles sellout no matter what day of the week they play....Personally I love this scenario because Loveland-Ft. Collins are SPORTS FANATICS and I think the Nuggets would be looking great to their Ft.Collins fans if they put their owned and operated team in their backyard.

3. Fold the team.

This is the worst case scenario. I think the D-League likes being in Colorado...somewhere in Colorado. But if something can't be worked out, and if the Nuggets don't want to buy the team...then the team will go away. I expect the D-League and the NBA will do everything they can to keep the team somewhere in Colorado... but again you never know.

EXPANSION

The team that will be coming in for sure is Portland, Maine and that is no secret. As for other teams joining. Halifax wants in BAD. But they are so remote, I doubt the other teams would want to add them into the fold. I wonder if you could take a boat to Halifax from Portland? I keep hearing a lot of the same cities we always here. Frisco, TX, Trenton, NJ. Springfield, MA, Hamliton, Ontario. But nothing is really concrete. Honestly people just aren't willing to buy teams right now. It is a HUUUGE investment. Unless NBA teams (who are trying to save money themselves right now) buy D-League teams... I expect expansion to slow down a little bit. But, I have been wrong before.

The D-League wants to be strong in the markets they are in, and they want to strengthen the relationship with their NBA affiliates. Expansion just for the sake of expanding would not be smart right now. One thing I would like to see the league do one the league is above 20 teams. Have two conferences with two divisions each. Either East and West or North and South conferences. Stay with the 50 game schedule. Have two showcases and play only within your conference to cut down on crazy travel. Triple-A baseball has two different leagues who don't play each other... the D-league should look at it like that. This is no longer a bus league and you can save a lot of franchises from going under if you help cut down their travel.

That's all for now.. I'll have another post from the arena tonight.

Jan 21, 2009

66ERS BIG FOURTH QUARTER ENDS VIPERS WIN STREAK

January 21, 2009

HIDALGO, Texas-

Keith Clark scored 19 of his game high 25 points in the second half as the Tulsa 66ers ended the Rio Grande Valley Vipers two game win streak with a 113-103 win at Dodge Arena Wednesday night. The win by Tulsa ends a three game losing streak and it’s the 66ers first win over Rio Grande Valley this season.

The Vipers led at half time after outscoring Tulsa 25-18 in the second quarter to lead 59-50 at the intermission. Vipers point guard Jared Jordan was on pace to shatter his career high point total he set in Tuesday’s win over Anaheim. Jordan would leave the game with 8:40 remaining in the third quarter with an undisclosed foot injury and did not return. Jordan finished with 18 points and four assists.

The Vipers held an 94-90 lead with 6:06 remaining in regulation after a Trent Strickland dunk. Tulsa then went off on a 13-0 run over the next 3:26 seconds, with seven of the points scored by newly acquired Gary Forbes, to take a 103-94 lead with 2:40 to play in the game. Forbes finished with 14 points in his Tulsa debut.

Marcus Hubbard tallied his first double-double of the season in the Viper loss. Hubbard scored 11 and hauled in a career-high 17 rebounds. Alpha Bangura’s streak of 20+ point outings also ended on Wednesday as he scored 19 points in the loss. Quin Humphrey and Stanely Asumnu scored 13 and 12 points respectively for Rio Grande Valley.

The Vipers will travel to Austin on Friday night as they face the Southwest Division leading Austin Toros with a 7:30 tip-off time at the Austin Convention Center. The 66ers will travel to Orem, UT on Friday night to face the Utah Flash.

Jan 14, 2009

Vipers versus Colorado 1-14-09 Pre-Game

Live from Dodge Arena... it's The RGV Vipers versus the Colorado 14ers. Let me just say this, if I was a fan of the Vipers, and I'm not, since I am employed by the team, I would HATE the Colorado 14ers!. They are the mongoose to our snake..Ok yeah that was a bad joke... but, they DOMINATE RGV. The Vipers are 1-9 lifetime against Colorado including two losses this season. They are good and they lead the league or are among the league leaders in every major offensive categories, they score, they go to the line, they distribute. However, they don't play defense, which may bode well tonight.

Clay Moser, not to be confused with Robert Loggia, told me they have added a new offense, one that encourages consistent ball movement and discourages stopping the ball. We will see how it works tonight.

As for Colorado, they are in second place in the division and have played great basketball, but like RGV have had a ton of changes lately. Gone are James Mays, Cheik Samb and Sonny Weems. Sean Williams is with the club from the New Jersey Nets and he along with Josh Davis, who has been incredible lately, will be Eddie Gill's go to guys tonight.


Don't forget you can follow all the action on Futurecast , or you can get the live box and play-by-play here  or check out Todd Mavreles' live game blog

Jan 12, 2009

Dorsey Recalled...Other Rumblings

The Rockets recalled Joey Dorsey after Friday's game in ABQ. Yes I know... I would have had this up sooner, only I wasn't with the team, the stats from the game didn't come out till the wee hours of the night because of some problems with their stats computers and only the D-league even so much as posted it on their website. Never the less Dorsey went up to the big club for a little bit. They are at home, they may need his body in practice for a bit, maybe he is working with this guy on the finger wag after a shot block... but who knows..I am fairly certain he will be back, and very soon. But at least he gets to enjoy the NBA life again for a little bit.


Now to the Vipers who will face Colorado on Wednesday night, they need some work and they desperately need a win. The chemsitry wasn't there with Smush and now they are looking for it with who is left on the roster. I think Coach Moser wants to make a move, only the choices are pretty slim for players who are in the pool and the Vipers are still near the bottom of the waiver pool. The Vipers were looking for a 6-0 maybe 5-1, or 4-2 stretch over the last six, but if you would have told me that the club would go 1-5 I would have thought you were crazy. But the T_birds are on fire now, thanks to Will Conroy and Keith Mcleod, and where the heck is Reno comin from... WOW.

Colorado is the opponent tonight... They had a couple thrillers with Austin the last couple of games. They are shorthanded tonight with only eight dressed for the game. 

I am looking forward to seeing Marcus Hubbard for the first time tonight. He joined the club at the D-League showcase, I think he is going to start.




The Vipers need to make some player moves, but who needs to go?

Jan 8, 2009

SMUSH PARKER TO CHINESE BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION



I am not the first to break this story but here it is. I just got off the phone with Head Coach Clay Moser and he confirmed a report Todd Mavreles had that Vipers guard Smush Parker has left the team to play for a squad in the Chinese Basketball Association believed to be the Guangdong Tigers. Smush averaged 17.2 points 4.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game. Smush also led the league in turnovers at 5.1 a game.


That's the news. Here is my commentary and is not the opinion of anyone else but myself.

This is not a shock to me that he is gone. According to Coach Moser a team in Italy had a standing offer for whenever he was going to take it. But the team in China kept in contact with Smush's agent and finally it was an offer he couldn't refuse. Funny though how his departure coincided almost to the day of his terrible D-League Showcase Performance in which representatives from every NBA team were there. It didn't look like a call-up was coming his way so he took the money. Honestly, this is what I thought would happen, if he didn't get a call-up by the Showcase or didn't play well, he was going to bolt.

Its no secret that Smush didn't really gel with this Viper squad. He was lackadaisical with the ball, (leading the league in turnovers) had spurts where he didn't get his team mates involved, rarely passed the ball into the low post, and took horrible shots. Some games he was great but to sum it up the only thing he was ever consistent in, was being inconsistent. His NBA shot may not have passed him by, he is still a great athlete, but for this season Smush has to focus on why he is struggling and fix that. He will have a chance to do that in China now.

How does this affect RGV? Well you lose your top scorer and assist man, but there are people to pick up the slack. I am curious to see Jared Jordan as the starter, I though he was very good in his two starts. The question is, can he play extended minutes? His only back-up right now is Craig Winder who has been a DNP three times this season and is NOT a point guard. Alpha and Trent need to pick up the load scoring wise. They have been.. but they will need to even more so. Alton NEEDS to get more touches and stay out of foul trouble, and Quin needs to shoot the dang ball when he is in the game.

Clay also confirmed to me that that they are 11th on the waiver wire pool, so still a long way to go if a solid player comes into the pool.

I want to thank Smush for helping us create a little buzz...but he didn't fit...The Vipers will have to move on.

Jan 4, 2009

D-League Showcase Preview;

Greetings Viper Enthusiasts:

Well that time of year has come, and its come a little bit earlier. The 2009 NBA Development League Showcase kicks off in Orem, Utah tomorrow morning. Kudos to the Utah Flash for hosting the event this season. I traveled to the Showcase last season and it takes quite a bit to put it on. You have to have all 16 teams, D-league front office staff, Scouts and General Managers from all 30 NBA clubs in hotel rooms. Oh did I mention all the referees, referee evaluators with the NBA, Media relations staff for all the teams and team Presidents and Owners from all 16 D-league clubs. Yeah and that is just lodging. Food has to be ordered, games need to be scheduled. All the games will be aired on Futurecast, many teams local radio outlets will need to pick up the feed for their local broadcasts. Game Notes printed...etc etc etc..... Trust me it is a lot of work and much of it is worked on by the host franchise, while already having their games to worry about.

I will not be going to the Showcase this year. My duties with FOX Rio 2 and the fact that some of the best play-by-play guys in the D-league will be handling the duties for the league and we can pick up the feed we felt it best that I forgo this trip. I do like visiting with all the other folks in the league, but since I travel to just about every game I can chat with them when I visit all the other buildings.

But I digress. Coach Moser was very disappointed at the Vipers effort on Saturday night. I can't blame him. He has referred to his team, as a Jekyll and Hyde team. Usually this season its been a tale of two halves. Last night it was a tale of two games. The Vipers played great on Friday, built a huge second half lead, actually dominated a third quarter and showed how much better they were than what I belive to be a TERRIBLE Albuquerque team. Then on Saturday we just did not show up mentally. Coach Moser told me in the post game interview that team lacked the maturity at this point to win back-to-back games. It takes a certain moxy to string wins together, right now the Vipers are mediocre, because they don't have that moxy. Will they find it...I guess we will have to wait and see, but this is a stretch of games where they can put a little cushion between themselves and the bottom of the division, they need to take advantage of it so they can be one of the eight teams in the playoffs and not on the outside looking in again.

Here are some thoughts on the Vipers and the showcase.


  • Vipers vs. Reno - Monday 8:15 CST
    • Viper Reunion
      • Jesse Smith played in all 50 games for Rio Grande Valley in their inaugural season and has started all 14 games for the Reno Bighorns this season. I was very fond of Jesse as a player and as a person. He is a quiet and a little reserved; but very intelligent and a genuinely nice person. I had hoped he would return but it was not in the cards for us. I am glad to see he is doing well stats wise, too bad his team is struggling. but, lets hope they don't turn the corner against RGV.
      • Vipers need a win, and should win. They have better bigs than Reno. They have better guards. No excuse if you don't get this win. NONE
      • Reno does not come to Dodge Arena this season because of this match-up. RGV won't see Reno again until April 2nd

Jan 3, 2009

THUNDERBIRDS DOMINATE BOARDS, BEAT VIPERS 116-10

HIDALGO, Texas-

Albuquerque guard Will Conroy, the D-League’s leading scorer, tallied a game high 25 points and dished out 10 assists in the Thunderbirds 116-105 victory over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers Saturday night at Dodge Arena. The Thunderbirds led the game by as many as 26 points en-route to just their third victory of the season. Rio Grande Valley lost their first game of 2009 and fell to 7-9 on the season. The Thunderbirds dominated the glass by outrebounding the Vipers 47-31.

The Thunderbirds scored at a frantic first half pace and did not let up. Cory Underwood’s jump hook with 4:40 remaining in the second quarter capped off a 10-2 run and gave the T-birds a 45-35 lead. The Vipers would not get within eight points the rest of the game as the Thunderbirds continued to put the offensive pressure on into the third quarter where they outscored RGV 32-26 and led 93-73 going into the final period.

All five starters and scored in double figures and forwards David Monds and David Noel hauled in double-doubles to help in the Thunderbirds victory. Monds scored 21 and brought down 13 boards, while Noel dropped in 21 points and 11 rebounds. Cory Underwood added 19 points shooting 8/10 from the field.

Smush Parker scored 18 points and dished out five assists to lead the Vipers in the defeat. Quin Humphrey and Alpha Bangura each chipped with 14. Houston Rockets assignee Joey Dorsey played 27 minutes and scored 11 points and tallied six rebounds in the Viper loss.

The Vipers and Thunderbirds will both travel to the D-League Showcase in Orem, Utah. The Vipers will face the expansion Reno Bighorns on Monday night at 8:15 pm CST. The Thunderbirds face the Sioux Falls Skyforce at 11:00 AM MST on Monday.

Jan 2, 2009

Vipers Knock of T-birds 108-96

HIDALGO, Texas-

Smush Parker and Joey Dorsey each tallied double-doubles and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers dominated a third quarter for the first time in a long time en-route to a 108-96 win over the Albuquerque Thunderbirds Friday night at Dodge Arena. The Vipers out scored the Thunderbirds 31-18 and handed Albuquerque their second straight defeat and their tenth loss of the season.

The Thunderbirds kept the game close early with a strong second quarter performance. RGV built a five-point lead after the first, but the Thunderbirds answered back with a 29-point second to take as much as a four point lead in the period, and a two point halftime deficit.

Vipers forward Trent Strickland and guard Alpha Bangura scored 11 and 10 points respectively in the third quarter surge. RGV closed out the period on an 8-2 run and took a 14-point lead into the final period where they lead by as many as 27 before closing out the 12 point victory.

Parker scored 19 and dished out 13 assists for his fifth double-double of the season. Dorsey hauled in his first career double-double with a 16 point 12 rebound performance. Kurt Looby was a basket shy of a double-double as he hauled in 10 rebounds, his second career double-digit rebound performance. Will Conroy scored 26 points to lead the T-birds in scoring.

The same two squads will battle again Saturday night at Dodge Arena with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 pm. Saturday will also be Affiliate Night Presented by Adidas. The Vipers will be wearing the home uniforms of the New Orleans Hornets which will be auctioned off after the game. The Vipers fans will also be entertained by Hugo the Hornet and the HoneyBees Dance Team.

Vipers vs. T-Birds 1-2-09 3rd Qtr

8:37 remaining 3rd

T-Birds 57
Vipers 53

The T-Birds have started the 3rd on a 10-5 run and now lead it by 4. David Noel has five 3rd Qtr points for ABQ. The Vipers have Alton Ford on the bench with 4 fouls


2:47 remaining 3rd

Vipers 71
ABQ 62

Wait... are the Vipers dominating a third quarter???? Ok maybe not but they are winning one and going on a nice run to take their largest lead of the game at 9. Trent Strickland is starting to heat up with eight 3rd quarter points.

End of 3rd Qtr

Vipers 79
T-Birds 65

Ok the Vipers just DOMINATED a third quarter. They outscored ABQ 31-18 in the period and finally were able to get Trent Strickland and Alpha Bangura involved the offense. Strickland scored 11 points in the third period, Bangura scored 10 of his own..Nice third quarter.. lets keep it up

Vipers vs. T-Birds 1-2-09 Halftime

Halftime-

Vipers 48
ABQ 47

Red Panda is performing right now.

Vipers did a nice job of regaining the lead with .3 to go... another offensive rebound by Joey Dorsey and a put back. Dorsey has 12 and eight rebounds, while Smush Parker scored eight of his game high 13 points in the second quarter to lead the scoring load for RGV. Trent Strickland has only take six shots, it would be nice to get him going a little more.

Meanwhile Will Conroy continues to be a pest. 11 points , 4 assists three boards, and a steal. The Vipers should have a much bigger halftime lead but they let the T-birds stick around. Give ABQ credit they are doing the little things to chip away, mostly drawing fouls, getting to the line, and making their foul shots.

Expect more inside play in the second half with Ford, Strickland, and Dorsey doing a lot of posting up. The Vipers are terrible in the transition game right now, they need to get back on D.

Second half about to start....HERE WE GO!!

Vipers vs. T-Birds 1-2-09 2nd qtr

4:23 Remaining 2nd qtr

Vipers 36
ABQ 34

The Vipers are allowing the T-birds to hang around. Cory Underwood has come in to give the T-birds some good 2nd qtr minutes. Big Jasper Johnson, who has a striking resemblance to this guy hit a long three. Not bad for the 275 pounder.

2:59 remaining 2nd Qtr.

Vipers 37
ABQ 38

The T-birds have gone a nice little run to regain the lead. We have have had eight lead changes in the game. No Viper is in double figures Parker and Dorsey each have eight

Vipers vs. T-Birds 1-2-09 1st qtr

Here is the running gamer. You can follow the game here... or of course... here

5:54 remaining in the 1st

Vipers 11
ABQ 9

Vipers off to a nice start Doresy is a beast on the boards he already has 5. 4 of them are offensive rebounds.


2:40 remaining in the 1st

Vipers 15
ABQ 14

Vipers are getting great all-around production, But Dorsey continues to be a beast. The Vipers are out rebounding the T-birds 12-7.. this is HUUUGE




End of 1st qtr

Vipers 23
ABQ 18

Dorsey pacing the offense for RGV with 8, but the rebounding continues to be the story Vipers outrebounding ABQ 17-7 after the first period. Six of those boards are Dorsey's. Conroy who is the league's leading scorer has just two points

Vipers vs Albuuerque Thunderbirds Pre-Game 1/2/09

Happy New Year Viper Fans.

With the new year hopefully comes a new attitude for Rio Grande Valley as they begin a very important six game stretch where they play five of their next six games against two of the worst teams in the D-League. Tonight the first of back-to-back home games against the division rival Thunderbirds. 

The Vipers knocked of ABQ back on Dec 14th  with 122-99 win at Dodge Arena. The T-birds may be 2-9 but have been playing better recently. The beat Idaho back on Dec 26th and had a couple of tight home contests with the division leading Austin Toros. 

Will Conroy continues to lead the league in scoring. He is a pesky player, probably the peskiest in the league. He is one of those players that you hate when he is on the opposing club, but you love when he is on your team. He makes good plays, scores the basketball, gets his steals and his assists. A solid player, who likes to put pressure on the refs and flop a little bit too... See what I mean about he is a player you love to hate?

The Vipers have had a couple of long and intense practices, and they needed it. They worked on pick-and roll defense and worked on getting Joey Dorsey aka Ray Lewis with a basketball...along with Jared Jordan aclimated to the offense. Lets hope it helps.. Also still no replacement for Kendall Dartez we will let you know when we hear something.

Dont forget to tune in tonight on NBA Futurecast or on ESPN 1240-AM

Here are the starters 

RGV

G- Smush Parker
G- Alpha Bangura
C- Alton Ford
F- Joey Dorsey (Houston Rockets)
F- Trent Strickland



I am going to attempt a running gamer tonight... but bear with me as I am calling the game...but I will try...


GO VIPERS