Recap: OKC Blue fall in 120-105 loss to RGV Vipers at home finale

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The G League's OKC Blue fell in a 120-105 loss to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Tuesday. The home defeat dropped their record to 12-22 in the regular season. It was the home finale of the year.

Defense remained a problem for the Blue. Even for the G League's fast-paced standards. They were in a 39-30 hole after the first quarter. The second frame was much of the same story. While OKC put up 29 points, it just didn't matter as the Vipers dumped in more buckets.

The Blue entered halftime in a 74-59 deficit. Things didn't get any better after the break. They fell behind by as many as 26 points. Scoring just 15 points in the third quarter, they were in a 99-74 hole. Down 103-76 with under ten minutes to go, OKC showed some fight in front of home fans.

And then the Blue made a 21-6 run to make things a little interesting. They trailed 109-97 with three minutes left. While still a long shot, a comeback was totally not off the table. Alas, the Vipers settled down and kept their distance on the scoreboard. OKC's 31 points in the fourth quarter made the final score prettier.

The Blue shot 51% from the field and went 15-of-32 (46.9%) from 3. They shot 7-of-15 on free throws. They had 24 assists on 39 baskets. Six Blue players scored double-digit points.

Meanwhile, the Vipers shot 44% from the field and went 10-of-34 (29.4%) from 3. They shot 18-of-24 on free throws. They had 24 assists on 38 baskets. Five Vipers players scored double-digit points.

Here are some notable individual performances from both sides:

• Nikola Topic: 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, 1-of-2 from 3, eight assists, one rebound
• Payton Sandfort: 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, 2-of-3 from 3, three rebounds
• Brooks Barnhizer: five points on 2-of-4 shooting, four rebounds
• Zhaire Smith: 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting, 3-of-4 from 3, five rebounds, two assists, three steals
• Tristen Newton: 43 points on 13-of-24 shooting, 8-of-16 from 3, 5-of-5 on free throws, four rebounds, two assists
• Daishen Nix: 20 points on 5-of-15 shooting, 0-of-4 from 3, 5-of-6 on free throws, seven assists, six rebounds, four steals
• Caleb McConnell: 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting, 1-of-3 from 3, 3-of-6 on free throws, eight rebounds, six assists, two steals
• Efe Abogidi: 15 points on 4-of-10 shooting, 1-of-5 from 3, 3-of-4 on free throws, six rbeounds

The full highlights of the Blue's 15-point loss to the Houston Rockets' G League affiliate can be watched below:


This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Recap: OKC Blue fall in 120-105 loss to RGV Vipers at home finale

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