/cdn.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/703700/bracket_650_110418.jpg)
The NBA D-League Finals could be determined tonight when the Rio Grande Valley Vipers head to Nevada to take on the Eric Musselman led Reno Bighorns in Game 2 of the three-game D-League Playoffs semifinal series.
If the Vipers win tonight, they'll host the Iowa Energy in Game 1 of the D-League Finals on Easter Sunday before heading to Iowa for for Game 2 on Wednesday and Game 3 next Friday, if necessary. If the Bighorns win tonight, they'll have to win again tomorrow, too (because it's a best-of-three series, you see).
The match-up to watch tonight is Reno's big wings with quite a bit of NBA experience in Marcus Landry and Bobby Simmons versus RGV's small wings with (a tiny bit of) NBA experience in Matt Janning and Jon Scheyer.
In the first game of the series, which was decided by a Terel Harris three-pointer in overtime, Landry and Simmons weren't able to use their size advantage -- or another sort of advantage -- as the two combined to make just five of their 23 shot attempts for a total of 15 points.
For the Vipers, Janning needs to get his shot off as the former Phoenix Suns guard is shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc this postseason despite an 0-for-3 performance in Game 1 that made it like the guard was a bit gun shy. Scheyer had a solid game with 20 points on 4-of-8 shooting from behind the three-point line and will need to replicate that again tonight.
My pick for tonight is going to be the Bighorns in a close one -- mostly because I predicted a three-game series and want to be right.
Highlights from Game 1 embedded below.