Rockets assignees Trevelin Queen, Daishen Nix, and Anthony Lamb all had key roles as Houston’s NBA G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Vipers, clinched the 2021-22 title on Thursday night. It is the fourth championship in team history, leading all G League clubs.
In Game 2 of the best-of-three G League Finals, the Vipers clinched the 2022 championship with a 131-114 victory (box score) at Delaware — where the Blue Coats are the Philadelphia 76ers’ affiliate. The Vipers have now won the G League crown in 2010, 2013, 2019, and 2022.
Nix, an undrafted rookie point guard from the NBA’s 2021 class, was impressive with 20 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals in his 37 minutes. The 6-foot-4 guard, who is only 20 years old, is on the first season of a four-year contract with the Rockets (salaries).
Meanwhile, the 25-year-old Queen — who was recently named G League MVP — had 24 points and 9 rebounds on 8-of-17 shooting (47.1% FG) in his 33 minutes. Queen was ejected early in the Game 2 clincher, but he was still named 2022 G League Finals MVP after scoring 44 points in Game 1. Lamb added 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists in his team-high 39 minutes, including 4-of-9 on 3-pointers (44.4%).
2022 NBA G League Champions⭐
We do this 4 you, Vipers fans!#4TheValley #RGVVipers pic.twitter.com/mVlwbFiRFW
— RGV Vipers (@RGVVipers) April 15, 2022
Queen (wing) and Lamb (forward) are each on two-way contracts with the Rockets. Those deals give Houston the right to match any outside offer in the NBA’s 2022 free agency and retain their services for next season.
For head coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah and general manager Travis Stockbridge, it was the first title for each in their third G League season.
Scroll on for highlights, interviews, and postgame reaction.
