Warriors Fall to Rio Grande Vipers in NBA D-League Finals

The Santa Cruz Warriors dropped the final game of their inaugural season 102-91 Saturday night against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, who were crowned NBA D-League Champions after defeating the Warriors 2-0 in the finals series.

The Warriors were led by Travis Leslie, who logged a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Scott Machado, currently on assignment from the Golden State Warriors, also scored 16. Jeremy Tyler and Moe Baker each chipped in with 13 points.

Rio Grande Valley was paced by D.J. Kennedy, who scored a game-high 27 points. Glen Rice Jr. had a double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds, while Toure Murry scored 13.

The Warriors scored first, but their two-point advantage would be their only lead of the game. Rio Grande Valley held its largest lead near the end of the first half after back-to-back Glen Rice Jr. three-pointers put the Vipers ahead 52-35. Santa Cruz outscored Rio Grande Valley 26-17 in the third quarter and pulled within one point after a 12-0 run with 7:32 left in the fourth. After trading buckets, the Warriors were within two with 3:47 left in the game, but the Vipers ended on a 12-3 run to end the game and win the championship.

The Santa Cruz Warriors players, coaches and front office staff would like to thank the fans in Santa Cruz for a tremendous inaugural season. The community support has been phenomenal, and the organization is proud to have played in front of the most passionate and enthusiastic fans in the league.

The NBA Development League, the NBA's official minor league, is now on YouTube, showing more than 350 live games on the NBA D-League YouTube Channel and nba.com/dleague. Fans can watch the league's 16 teams and get a glimpse at the players, coaches and officials competing to ascend to the NBA's ranks. With 20 percent of players in the NBA at the start of the 2012-13 season boasting NBA D-League experience, the NBA D-League YouTube Channel is the best place to see the future now.

The NBA D-League season is made up of 50 regular-season games plus a postseason and runs from November to April. The league consists of 16 teams for the 2012-13 season: Austin Toros, Bakersfield Jam, Canton Charge, Erie BayHawks, Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Idaho Stampede, Iowa Energy, Los Angeles D-Fenders, Maine Red Claws, Reno Bighorns, Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Santa Cruz Warriors, Springfield Armor, Texas Legends and Tulsa 66ers.

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