Oceanside, California

The Houston Rocket’s affiliate Rio Grande Valley Vipers pulled away late to win at Frontwave Arena on Tuesday night.

Jalen Adaway tied his career high in points and led the way for the Clippers. N’Faly Dante and David Roddy helped propel the Vipers to the 121-108 win.

The Clippers entered Tuesday night effectively being out of a playoff spot.

The next four games they have will be played for team and personal pride. The Clippers had Cam Christie back from the Los Angeles Clippers on his two-way contract. The addition of Christie was not enough tonight in the loss. The Rio Grande Valley Vipers came into the game after a close one-point loss to the South Bay Lakers on Saturday. David Roddy led the Vipers in that loss with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Last game for the Clippers, they lost against the Mexico City Capitanes. Trentyn Flowers led the Clippers in that game with 28 points and four rebounds.

Jalen House returned to the Clippers bench after not being there the last two games. House was wearing a sling on his right shoulder and seems to be out long-term for the Clippers.

The Vipers came out of the gates quickly, scoring the first five points of the game. The Clippers made a few shots to stay in the game. The offense started flowing for both teams early, and neither defense was effective. The teams traded three-point shots early, but the offense went cold for the Clippers. Rio Grande Valley took advantage and went up 26-18. The Clippers clawed back into it to get the score to 29-24. The Vipers would end the quarter on an 11-5 run, putting them up 40-29 at the end of one.

The second quarter saw the Vipers hold onto their lead. The difference ballooned to as much as 19 points, with the Vipers holding a 61-42 advantage. This run from the Vipers ignited the Clippers defense. The Clippers defense started getting stops, and Jalen Adaway scored on the offensive end. In the blink of an eye, the lead shrank to 10. The Vipers scored a basket before halftime taking a 69-57 advantage to the locker room.

Out of the break, Trentyn Flowers hit a big three to cut the lead to single digits. This helped the Clippers to get multiple stops and multiple baskets. Jalen Adaway got hot for the Clippers in the third quarter. His shot-making and playmaking helped the Clippers storm back. The points piled up for Adaway, “it feels good you’re in that flow state of mind,” Adaway recalled after the game. The Vipers’ lead was cut to just two points by the end of the quarter.

The fourth quarter seemed like the Clippers were finally going to get over the hump and successfully make a comeback.

The Vipers and Clippers traded shots possession after possession. The Clippers finally strung together a couple of stops and buckets to tie the game at 106 apiece. The tie would be as close as the Clippers would get the rest of the way. The Vipers closed the game on a 15-2 run and squashed any hope of a comeback. There were plays that could have been made down the stretch by the Clippers, “there were a couple 50/50 balls we should have come up with” Adaway lamented after the game. Unfortunately, the Clippers did not make those plays, and the Vipers capitalized.

The final score was Rio Grande Valley 121 and the San Diego Clippers 108.

Looking ahead, the Clippers and Vipers will have a rematch on Thursday evening at 7 pm.

The Clippers will be looking to get over the hump and “just staying positive and having fun. At the end of the day, it’s just basketball.” Adaway felt after the game. He also felt that “staying positive and putting the time in is what is gonna get you over the hump.” It should be noted that at least five Clippers players were on the floor after the game getting shots up, Adaway included. With just four games left in the season, the Clippers will look to end the season on a high note.

Max Montoya

A Southern California kid from San Clemente, he attended Gonzaga University and obtained a degree in sports management with minors in digital marketing and public relations. Max has been a San Diego sports fan for life.