Osceola vs. Rip City
PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — In a frenetic New Year’s Eve shootout, the Osceola Magic outlasted the Rip City Remix 129-126 in a G League game Wednesday afternoon at Chiles Center.
The game was decided in a chaotic final 10 seconds that featured multiple timeouts, fouls, replay reviews and lead changes. With Osceola leading 123-121, Rip City’s Blake Hinson hit a 22-foot 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining to give the Remix a one-point lead. After an Osceola timeout, the Magic’s Alex Morales threw an inbound pass out of bounds, turning the ball back over to Rip City with six seconds left.
Andrew Carr converted a layup on the ensuing possession, assisted by Dillon Jones, to extend Rip City’s lead to three with four seconds on the clock. Osceola called another timeout to advance the ball. On the inbound, Rip City’s Sean Pedulla fouled Osceola’s Lester Quinones, sending him to the line for two shots with three seconds left. Quinones calmly made both free throws to cut the deficit to one.
On the next inbound, Quinones fouled Pedulla, sending the Rip City guard to the line with two seconds remaining. After missing the first free throw, Pedulla made the second to put Rip City ahead 124-123. He intentionally missed the third attempt, but Carr secured the offensive rebound and put it back in, seemingly icing the game with a 126-123 lead and one second left.
However, Rip City’s Kalib Boone fouled Osceola’s Justin Minaya on the ensuing inbound, sending him to the line for two shots with no time remaining. Minaya sank both free throws to pull Osceola within one. Following a Rip City timeout to substitute, Osceola’s Javonte Smart was fouled by Dillon Jones on the next inbound attempt, sending him back to the line with zero seconds left. Smart made both free throws to give Osceola the improbable 129-126 victory.
The wild finish capped a game defined by offensive efficiency and key individual performances. Osceola’s Alex Morales led all scorers with 26 points and added 10 rebounds. Reece Beekman contributed 21 points and eight assists, while Ja’Vonte Smart added 19 points and five assists off the bench.
For Rip City, Sean Pedulla scored 30 points and Andrew Carr posted a double-double with 21 points and 16 rebounds. Blake Hinson added 33 points for the Remix.
Osceola built an early lead, shooting 48.9% from the field and 37.8% from 3-point range for the game. The Magic also converted 18 of 22 free throws. Rip City, despite attempting more shots, finished at 44.2% from the field and 39.6% from beyond the arc. The Remix outrebounded Osceola 47-44 but committed 12 turnovers to the Magic’s 11.
With the win, Osceola improved to 12-7 across all competitions. Rip City fell to 10-9. Both teams begin road trips on Friday, with Osceola traveling to face Windy City and Rip City heading to Salt Lake City.