The Hustle’s season ends with a 110-108 lose to the Vipers

One hour prior to the tipoff of the Memphis Hustle’s playoff game versus the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the NBA G League announced that Memphis Grizzlies Two-Way Forward Kenneth Lofton Jr. was named the 2022-23 KIA NBA G League Rookie of the Year.

Kenneth Lofton Jr., who was reassigned to the Hustle along with Jake LaRavia yesterday, returned to the starting lineup with Jacob Gilyard, Justin Bean, Dakota Mathias, and LaRavia rounding out the first five.

The Hustle began the game in a 10-4 deficit before responding with a 13-2 run to take a 17-12 lead. Rio Grande Valley responded with a 13-5 run to retake the lead and extended it to 5 points before a last-second tip-in from Sean McDermott as the buzzer sounded, cut the Hustle’s deficit to 34-31 to end the 1st quarter.

Rio Grande Valley extended their lead to 8 points to begin the 2nd quarter at 39-31 after an And-1 from former Grizzly Jarrett Culver. Kenneth Lofton Jr. began to get his game going bullying his way in the paint to help the Hustle retake the lead at 54-52. Rio Grande Valley quickly responded with a 7-0 run to regain the lead and kept the lead going into the half at 66-62.

Kennth Lofton Jr. led the Memphis Hustle at halftime with 18 points, and forward Darius Days led the game in scoring with 20 points for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. The Vipers shot 49% from the field including 9-21 from three and the Hustle shot 43.8% from the field including 6-19 from three at the half.

The Hustle returned from the locker room in a groove as they began the 3rd quarter on a 15-4 run to regain the lead at 77-70 with 6 minutes remaining in the 3rd. On the Hustle’s basket that gave them the 7-point lead, Kenneth Lofton Jr. was charged with a technical foul for a hostile act. Rio Grande Valley connected on the ensuing free throw and went on a 5-0 run before Dakota Mathias stopped the run with a midrange basket. That basket began a 6-0 run for the Hustle to match their largest lead of the game at 8 points with an 83-75 lead. Rio Grande Valley responded with an 11-2 run to regain the lead to end the 3rd quarter at 86-85.

The 4th quarter continued a back-and-forth affair as both teams continued to change leads to start the final period. With the score tied at 96, Kenneth Lofton Jr. fouled out Rio Grande Valley’s leading scorer of the game, Darius Days, and Jacob Gilyard and Dakota Mathias knocked down back-to-back threes to help the Hustle take a 4-point lead at 102-98. The Vipers went on a quick 4-0 run to tie the score back at 102 with 3:25 remaining in the game.

The back-and-forth continued as the teams continued to trade baskets until Rio Grande Valley guard TyTy Washington Jr. hit the final go-ahead basket with 32.5 seconds remaining. Jake LaRavia missed what could’ve been the go-ahead three on the ensuing possession but the Vipers kept the door open missing four of five free throws down the stretch before Jake LaRavia missed a buzzer-beating three as the Vipers defeated the Hustle 110-108. The Hustle’s impressive season came to an end in a game that had 9 ties, 13 lead changes, and no team leading by more than 8 points.

Kenneth Lofton Jr. ended his G League Rookie of the Year season, leading the Hustle with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Dakota Mathias added 18 points, Jacob Gilyard added 16 points and 10 assists, and Justin Bean added 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Hustle as they shot 11-40 from three as a team.