Daishen Nix
Playoff D has been activated in the NBA G League Finals.
Anchorage’s Daishen Nix of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers delivered one of the greatest Alaska basketball performances of all-time with a 31-point, 12-rebound, 11-assist triple-double in Game 1 of the best-of-3 championship series.
Rio Grande set a G League Finals scoring record after a 145-128 victory over the Delaware Blue Coats.
The second-year professional point guard is the first Alaskan to record a triple-double in the G League and the second Alaskan to do it at the affiliated level, joining Juneau’s Carlos Boozer, who in 2008 bagged a 22-11-10 triple-double in the NBA against the Seattle SuperSonics.
Nix started Game 1 and played 38 minutes. Not shy to call his own number, he went 11-of-25 from the field including 4-of-10 shooting from 3-point range. He also went 3-of-5 from the free-throw line, grabbed four offensive rebounds and made two steals.
Rio Grande improved to 16-4 this season with the Alaskan on the court.
🔥BREAKING RECORDS🔥
Daishen Nix: 31PTS🔥12REB🔥11AST
Anthony Lamb: 10PTS🔥10REB🔥10AST
The @RGVVipers are the first team in the history of NBA G League Finals to deliver 2⃣ triple-doubles in one finals game!! These are the first triple-doubles since 2013. pic.twitter.com/spmq2y6yZe
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) April 13, 2022
This was his third career playoff game, with the other two producing 11 points (2021 first round) and 22 points (2022 Western Conference Finals).
The 6-foot-5 playmaker was recalled to Rio Grande from the Houston Rockets after the NBA season concluded over the weekend. He logged 24 NBA appearances as a rookie and registered seasons highs of 13 points and 5 assists.
Nix has made the G League looks like child’s play – and he’s only 20 years old.
During the regular season he was the only player in the league to average 20 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals per game. He produced scoring games of 34, 30, 30 and 29 points, and showcased his world-class court vision with 13, 12, 11 and 10 assists.
So, it’s not like his 31-12-11 performance came out of nowhere.
But still. At his age, in the Finals? It’s OMG impressive.
This was the most points scored by an Alaskan in a G League playoff game since Anchorage’s Ramon Harris pumped in 30 points in the 2015 Finals with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
Game 2 is Thursday.
Nix is looking to become the next Alaska hoops player to win a pro championship at the affiliated level, joining G League champ Harris (2014) with Fort Wayne and two-time NBA champ Mario Chalmers (2012 & 2013) with the Miami Heat.