ORLANDO, FL – 335 days after their last game, the Agua Caliente Clippers (0-1), fell to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (1-1), 99-95, in their single-site season opener on Thursday night at the AdventHealth Arena. The lack of game time was visible as the teams combined for a total of 37 turnovers. 

Returning player Tyrone Wallace led the Clippers’ efforts with a team-high 18 points on seven-of-10 shooting from the field. Emanuel Terry, in his first season with the team, contributed with a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. Terry also led both teams with a career-high five steals. Two-way player Amir Coffey added 14 points, seven coming from the free throw line. 

The Clippers were able to get off to a strong first half, leading by as much as 12 in the second quarter thanks to a 16-4 run. They held the double-digit lead half-way into third quarter until the Vipers bit back with a 12-0 run to regain the advantage. After a tight final frame that saw eight lead changes in the final five minutes of play, Rio Grande’s Kevin Porter Jr. blocked Amir Coffey’s game-tying three-point attempt to clinch the victory. 

Porter Jr. led the game with 21 points on eight-of-11 shooting from the field. He would also dish out a game-high seven assists.  

Kenyon Martin Jr., 14 points and 12 rebounds, Ray Spalding, 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, and Brodric Thomas, 18 points and 14 rebounds, each recorded double-doubles for the Vipers. Martin Jr. added a game-high five of the team’s 12 blocks to his stat-line. 

The Clippers return to action tomorrow night for the tail-end of a back-to-back, hosting the Iowa Wolves at the HP Field House, in the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, FL. Action tips off at 4:30 p.m. PT on ESPN+. 

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