Hustle fall to Vipers in Season Opener

The Memphis Hustle (0-1), the NBA G League affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies, were defeated 103-97 by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (1-0) to start the Tip-Off Tournament.

Miles Norris paced the Hustle with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Lucas Williamson scored 21 points. Armando Bacot contributed 17 points, 18 rebounds and five assists. Malachi Smith tallied 12 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Race Thompson added 10 points and six rebounds off the bench. 

On assignment from the Rockets, Cam Whitmore led the Vipers with 28 points and six rebounds. Nate Williams added 18 points and eight rebounds. Jermaine Samuels Jr. scored 13 points. Thon Maker added 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench. 

Memphis opened the game on a 20-7 to take an early double-digit lead before the Vipers fought back to take a second half lead. With the game tied at 97 with 1:10 remaining, Rio Grande Valley closed on a 6-0 run to secure the win. 

Memphis outrebounded the Vipers 56-53 and scored 18 second chance points. The Hustle assisted on 27 of 36 field goals. The Vipers bench outscored the Hustle bench 28-18. 

The Hustle will host their home opener on Monday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. CT against the Mexico City Capitanes. 

Single-game tickets for all regular season Hustle games are on sale now. Tickets start as low as $15 and are available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com/Memphis-Hustle-Tickets or by calling (901) 888-HOOP. In addition, all-inclusive floor seats and tables are still available for purchase, and the Hustle are accepting $50 deposits for groups of 10-or-more. 

For more information on the Memphis Hustle, visit memphishustle.com, follow the team on Twitter/X and Instagram (@MemphisHustle) or ‘like’ Memphis Hustle on Facebook.