After the biggest margin of victory of the season for Austin as they beat the Texas Legends 131-108, the Spurs now face another Texas team in the Rio Grande Valley Vipers away from home in a Saturday night clash. The Vipers are red hot at the moment having won four out of their last five, including two wins vs. Mexico City and a win over Scoot Henderson and the G League Ignite. The Spurs were finally able to get back into the win column with the big win vs. the Legends, but have a tough task against a surging Rio Grande Valley team. A win here for Austin would propel their playoff hopes into life.
Austin Spurs vs. Rio Grande Valley Info
- When: January 28th, 2023
- Time: 7:30 P.M. CST
- Location: Bert Ogden Arena, Edinburg, Texas
- How to Watch: NBAGLeague.com
Austin Spurs Info
It is safe to say that the Austin Spurs were firing on all cylinders in their last game against in-state rivals Texas Legends. There were some performances from this game that simply are off the charts.
To begin, how could we ever write an Austin Spurs article without mentioning the main man himself in Charles Bassey, who had an unbelievable night. Bassey had 40 points, shooting 19-24 from field goal range and had a mammoth 16 rebounds. Bassey also had three steals, showing how big he is on both sides of the ball. Dominick Barlow had 17 points and seven rebounds to form a dynamic duo with Bassey in the Spurs’ front court. Alize Johnson nearly had another double-double with seven points and ten rebounds, while Jordan Murphy was the sixth man of the night with 18 points off the bench.
This was a win that brought relief to both the team and Spurs fans. It has been a struggle in recent week for the Spurs, but with a win like this, can it begin the start of an improbable run for a potential playoff birth?
Rio Grande Valley Vipers Preview
What Rio Grande Valley prides themself on is to have output from almost everyone on the roster, have a togetherness, and a “never say die” attitude. That was apparent in their most recent 110-96 win over a talented Mexico City team. Cassius Stanley proved to be the big performer on the night with 20 points off the bench. Darius Days, who is undoubtedly RGV’s best forward, had 19 points and 16 rebounds. His presence on the boards will be a challenge for Dominick Barlow to handle. Former first-round pick Willey Cauley-Stein is also on the roster, and should make up for a fun battle with Bassey in the front court.
A game that will be tight with some physical nature to it, this lone star state showdown will be one to watch for sure. With Austin trying to climb back into the playoff race, every single game counts, and with a win today, you will have to think something could be in the works for a late playoff push.
