Vipers win fourth NBA G League title as Rockets assignees play key roles
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.
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Two-way Rockets player Trevelin Queen named NBA G League MVP
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Rio Grande Valley Vipers top Delaware Blue Jackets for the G League championship. Trevelin Queen adds Finals MVP to his regular season MVP.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) April 15, 2022
The Rio Grande Valley Vipers have won the 2022 NBA G League Championship, their second title since 2019 and fourth in franchise history. No other G League team has won more than two titles.
— Danielle Lerner (@danielle_lerner) April 15, 2022
Congratulations @RGVVipers
— Daryl MorΞy 🗽🏀 (@dmorey) April 15, 2022
.@RGVVipers (@HoustonRockets affiliate) beat Delaware 131-114 to win the best-of-three NBA G League finals 2-0. Fourth NBA G League championship in franchise history. Trevelin Queen is the finals MVP. pic.twitter.com/bKNycnuHht
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) April 15, 2022
🏆 2022 G-LEAGUE CHAMPS!!!
Congrats @RGVVipers & @MahmoudFattah30! 🐍 what a year for the Vipers organization.
— Cayleigh Griffin (@cayleighgriffin) April 15, 2022
We bringing home the title!! 🐍😎
Be ready to celebrate Vipers fans, details to come!#4TheValley #JobDone #Champs pic.twitter.com/YH80I3oDsh
— RGV Vipers (@RGVVipers) April 15, 2022
4th Championship in team history. From video coordinator to Championship Head coach. Congratulations to the Vipers and Coach Abdelfattah pic.twitter.com/IbthfbgoSM
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) April 15, 2022
Champions 🏆
Congrats to the @RGVVipers on an incredible season! pic.twitter.com/p1TWRmMy9b
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) April 15, 2022
MVP and G League Finals MVP pic.twitter.com/JeUIgCDD7u
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) April 15, 2022
Congratulations to Coach @MahmoudFattah30. He is the first Muslim Head Coach in NBA/GLeague history to win a championship. And during Ramadan, too. https://t.co/kaIGqtGbIA
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) April 15, 2022
LET THE CELEBRATION BEGIN!! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/qmjHN981GV
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) April 15, 2022
Gerald Green: pic.twitter.com/Ij5DJePGEK
— Rob Kimbell (@RobKSports) April 15, 2022
