Another overtime win for the Memphis Hustle
The Memphis Hustle defeated the Rio Grande Valley Vipers 128-126 in overtime on Monday night, earning its fifth consecutive win and seventh victory in a row over the Vipers.
Memphis had a trio of 20-point scorers, led by Ahmad Caver’s 29 points and 12 assists. Santi Aldama posted a double-double with 28 points and 11 rebounds. Shaq Buchanan totaled 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, five rebounds and six assists. Reggie Hearn added 15 points.
Marcus Foster totaled a game-high 31 points (12-19 FG) for the Vipers. Anthony Lamb added 27 points and seven assists. Marvin Smith tallied 25 points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench.
After a thrilling, quadruple overtime victory over the Vipers on Saturday, the Hustle needed overtime again to complete the two-game road sweep over Rio Grande Valley. Memphis led by as many as 32 points in the third quarter, 91-59, but the Vipers outscored the Hustle 65-23 in the final 18 minutes to tie the game at 124-124 at the end of regulation. The Vipers outscored the Hustle 42-23 in the fourth quarter, including 21-0 from behind the arc.
With the game tied at 126-126, Caver connected on a pullup jumper with 27.6 seconds to play in overtime to give Memphis a two-point lead. Foster got off a contested 3-point attempt over Caver with 2.8 seconds remaining, but the shot fell short to give the Hustle its eighth win in its last 10 games.
Despite being outscored 72-27 from 3-point range, the Hustle were dominant in transition, outscoring the Vipers 33-20 in points off turnovers and 76-40 in points in the paint.
The Hustle took a 71-51 lead into the break behind 15 points apiece from Hearn and Buchanan. Memphis shot 58.5% from 3-point range in the first half. Lamb caught fire for Rio Grande Valley, scoring 25 of his 27 points in second half and knocking down six 3-pointers, helping the Vipers climb back into the game.
The Hustle conclude a three-game road trip against the Texas Legends on Friday, March 25, at 7:30 p.m. CT. Fans can catch the game on NBAGLeague.com.
