Anderson, Vipers ready for D-League playoffs against Reno

Former Lynn Tech/Memphis star Antonio Anderson and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League will enter the D-League playoffs against the Reno Bighorns.The first-round matchups for the D-League playoffs were chosen Sunday. The Iowa Energy chose to face Utah in the first-round, followed by Rio Grande Valley picking Reno and Austin taking Dakota. Sioux Falls faces Tulsa.Anderson finished with a team-high 21 points, five rebounds and seven assists in a 110-105 loss to the Dakota Wizards in the Vipers’ regular-season finale at State Farm Arena before a sellout crowd of 5,565 in Hidalgo, Texas, Saturday.Memphis Grizzlies-assignee Lester Hudson hit a three-pointer with 9.3 seconds remaining to propel Dakota to the win.Anderson punctuated a 13-5 run to open the third quarter with an alley-oop dunk as the Vipers got within 72-70 with 6:38 left in the quarter. After trading baskets for a few minutes, Craig Winder hit two free throws to tie the game at 84-84 with 1:04 left in the quarter.Julian Sensley hit a pair of free throws to give the Vipers their first lead of the second half at 89-88 with 11:12 remaining. After the Wizards took the lead back, Sensley hit a three-pointer less than a minute later to give the Vipers a 92-91 lead.Anderson hit a pair of free throws to give the Vipers a 101-99 lead with 2:14 left, but after Will Conroy hit a free throw, the Wizards went on a 5-0 run to take a 104-102 lead. Anderson responded with a slam dunk, on which he got fouled and hit the free throw to give the Vipers the lead back with 25.5 seconds left.The Vipers will host games two and three (if necessary) of the first round at State Farm Arena on Monday, April 12 and Tuesday, April 13. Both games will start at 7:30 p.m.