Season 58 MBA Finals Game 5 Title Contest...Dallas at Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA 63, DALLAS 52

PHOBIA RECLAIMS THE THRONE

PHILADELPHIA -- Using its league-leading defense to all of its smothering capability, the Philadelphia Phobia snuffed out the six-time-defending champion Dallas Demons 63-52 to capture the Season 58 title, 63-52.

The franchise-leading 17th championship in MBA history put an end to Philadelphia's longest championship drought...14 seasons. 

This title-winning Game 5 effort was the best defensive showing in the playoffs by the Phobia, as they held the league's No. 1 offense to a playoff-low 52 points and just 41.7 percent shooting. That included an 0 for 10 stat line for Dallas from beyond the 3-point line. 

Additionally, the new champions tied a team rebounding record for a single playoff game set by three other teams: Houston in Season 9 and Season 36, and Dallas in Season 52.

The front line of Philadelphia...Blob Dylan, Philibuck Davia and Leonard Pinth Garnel all dominated their respective opponents.

Dallas was somewhat within striking distance, down 7 going into the final quarter, but the Phobia strangled any hope for the Demons by starting the stanza with a 10-0 run. Halfway through the last frame the new champs held a 17-point lead and coasted home with number 17 secure in hand.

All five Finals games were won by the home team.

Meanwhile, let's acknowledge the amazing six-season run at the top of the heap by Dallas, who died defending their crown in the Finals.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

32 GVP...The MBA's regular season MVP, LEONARD PINTH GARNEL, waited until the final game of the playoffs to unleash his first post-season POG performance. The 6-10 Garnel put all of his assets on display in this winning effort, leading everyone in six categories: rebounding (13), steals (3), assists (4), blocked shots (4), points prevented (6) and turnovers caused (5). So, despite scoring just 8 points on 4 of 7 shooting, Garnel was easily the single-most dominant force in the game. The league's top rebounder came right out of the gate with 7 first-quarter rebounds, falling just one rebound short of Hall of Famer Raisin Sport's Season 9 playoff record of 14 for the game. He was magnifico at the exact right time.

Other 20-plus GVP performers (none from Dallas)

25 GVP...Philadelphia power forward Philibuck Davia...16 points (3 slams)....7 rebounds...2 assists

23 GVP...Philadelphia's retiring shooting guard ITSTHA BISHOP in his final game...18 points...4 rebounds...1 assist.

23 GVP...Philadelphia center Blob Dylan...15 points...5 rebounds...3 blocked shots.

POINTS PREVENTED BY QUARTERS

Dallas...2...2...6...3  Total=13

Philly....6...0...4...4  Total=14

POINTS PREVENTED LEADERS

1. Leonard Pinth Garnel, Philadelphia 6

1. Poop-Rupiah 3000, Dallas 6

TEAM TURNOVERS CAUSED BY QUARTER

Dallas...2...2...2...0  Total=6

Philly....0...0...3...3  Total-6

TURNOVERS CAUSED LEADERS

1. Leonard Pinth Garnel, Philadelphia 5

2. Nick Kenpoop, Dallas 2

2. Venial Sinn, Dallas 2

NEXT UP: Playoff stats leaders and the announcement of the Playoff MVP.

The MBA Pyramid of Greatness as it currently stands

NEXT UP: THE GAME 5 CHAMPIONSHIP CONTEST...PROBABLY MONDAY OR TUESDAY

 

Season 58 Finals...Game 4...Philadelphia at Dallas

DALLAS 83, PHILADELPHIA 67 (Slaughter Rule Enforced) Series tied 2-2

DEMONS FIGHT BACK

DALLAS -- Showing the resilience of a champion, the Dallas Demons sent this Finals to a showdown Game 5 with a Slaughter Rule 83-67 thumping of the visiting Philadelphia Phobia.

On the verge of giving up the MBA title they have held for six straight seasons, the Demons defended their home court with a fury, leading from start to finish. 

Philadelphia mounted a push in the fourth quarter, cutting a 15-point lead to 6, but Dallas point guard Mini Carfartt ended the Phobia's hopes by delivering three consecutive 3-point bombs.

The game was not without incident, as Philly coach Stu Nod was hit with a technical foul in the first quarter as Dallas got off to a big lead. Then in the second quarter Venial Sinn of Dallas and Itstha Bishop of Philadelphia got into a fight in which both drew technicals, but Sinn was ejected from the game. That meant Dallas rookie Fashion Boy Vuitton was pressed into action for more than half of the game. He ended up scoring 9 points and tying for game-high in assists with 4.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

36 GVP...It became apparent early that the greatest Demon of all time, JUZAN DJINN, was not going to let his team yield its title on its home court. The Hall of Fame two guard rose to the occasion with his first POG of the Finals and second of the playoffs, following his 20-point Game 3 performance with a 21-point effort in Game 4. He delivered the 9th triple-double of his career and his first since the Season 56 playoffs, blocking a game-high 8 shots and pulling down 5 boards while adding a pair of assists. Djinn was 7 for 14 from the floor, connecting on 3 of 7 from deep and going 4 for 4 from the foul line. He is very much in the running to snag a record fourth Playoff MVP honor. He's currently averaging 15.7 points per game in the playoffs with 19 blocked shots.

Other 20-plus GVP performerws

33 GVP...Dallas point guard Mini Carfartt...29 points (3 killer treys)...2 rebounds...2 assists.

26 GVP...Philadelphia point guard Tut Ankhamun...22 points (3 treys)...4 assists.

24 GVP...Philadelphia's retiring shooting guard Itstha Bishop...17 points...6 rebounds...1 assist.

22 GVP...Dallas center Poop-Rupiah 3000...10 points (3slams)...8 rebounds...3 blocked shots...1 assist.

NEXT UP: The Game 5 decider. The second season in a row the Finals have gone the distance. In this one, the home team has won every game. Philadelphia is the home team.

ALL OF THE PAST PLAYOFF MVPS

 

Season 58 Finals Game 3...Dallas at Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA 76, DALLAS 55 (Slaughter Rule Enforced) Philly leads series 2-1

CHAMPS ON RUBBER LEGS

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Phobia are one game away from their 17th MBA championship and first in 15 seasons after using their smothering defense to defeat the six-time defending titlists from Dallas, 76-55.

After winning Game 2 with a 77-point output and starting this game with a 22-point first-quarter, the Demons looked like they may have solved the league's top defense. But in the three quarters that followed, the Phobia allowed Dallas just 12, 11 and 10 points as they ratcheted the defensive pressure. When the smoke cleared, Philly had flustered their worthy opponent into 38.2 percent shooting and technically, a Slaughter Rule victory, achieved with 1 time unit remaining in the contest.

The two Dallas forwards who had combined for 42 points in the previous outing, were held to 14, while Philadelphia used a balanced offensive attack to slowly lower the boom.

The home team carried a 10-point lead going into the final quarter, then pulled away with a 9-0 run to start the fourth, set off by a 3-point bomb by guard Tut Ankhamum on the first time unit. 

The lone bright spot for Dallas was the play of Hall of Fame guard Juzan Djinn, who led all scorers with 20 points.

The one hope Dallas can cling to is that the home team has won every game in the Finals thus far, with the next contest in The Big D.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

29 GVP...For the second game in a row, a Philadelphia veteran rose up to record the first triple-double of their career. This time it was sixth-year center BLOB DYLAN turning the trickwith a 16-point, 8-rebound, 5-block performance that saw him dominate this season's All-MBA pivot, Poop-Rupiah 3000.  

With this performance, his second POG of the playoffs, Dylan's hat is in the ring for Playoff MVP. The 6-11 center was shut out on the boards in the previous game, but rallied to grab a game-high (tied) 8 boards in this victory. He was 8 for 12 from the floor with a slam, but it was his defense that set the tone as he blocked a game-high 5 shots, holding 3000 to 4 of 12 shooting and just 8 points.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

25 GVP...Dallas Hall of Fame guard Juzan Djinn...20 points (4 treys)...2 rebounds...2 assists...1 block

24 GVP...Philadelphia point guard Tut "the Pharoah" Ankhamun...19 points (3 treys)...5 assists.

24 GVP...Philadelphia's MVP forward Leonard Pinth Garnel...9 points...8 rebounds...4 assists...2 blocks...1 steal.

23 GVP...Philadelphia power forward Philibuck Davia...16 points...6 rebounds...1 assist. 

NEXT UP: The Finals return to Dallas, where the Demons look to force a Game 5.

A LOOK BACK

OTHER TWO TIMES THESE TEAMS MET IN FINALS…SEASONS 22 AND 23 (CALENDAR YEAR WAS 2007 AND 2008)

Season 22

Philadelphia won 3 games to 1

Playoff MVP was the great Curly Hogbottom of Philadelphia (20.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 8 blocks, 70.7 shooting pctg, 2 POGs

Philadelphia forward Cam Bodia earned Hall of Fame status

 

Season 23

Philadelphia wins 3 games to 1

Playoff MVP was Dallas Hall of Fame guard Joey Two Tones (19.2 ppg, 9 steals, 10 blocked shots, 78.6 percent from 3 with 11 made

Two-Tones made the Hall of Fame thanks to his MVP honor in his sixth and final season. He scored 25 points in his final game, an overtime loss.

Season 58 Finals...Game 2...Philadelphia at Dallas

DALLAS 77, PHILADELPHIA 72 (Series tied 1-1)

DALLAS PUTS BEST FOOT FORWARD(S)

DALLAS -- Led by forwards Nick Kenpoop and Venial Sinn, the six-time defending champion Demons gave Philadelphia notice that it would not be an easy task to wrest the MBA title from Dallas.In a game which was not as close as the final score might indicate, Dallas evened the series 1 to 1 with a 77-72 home court victory that broke Philadelphia's 7-game winning streak.

Discussing the Demons chances after Game 1, Tyler was of the opinion that Dallas forwards were not strong enough. Kenpoop and Sinn must have overheard the conversation.

Led by the two forwards under discussion, Dallas got off to a hot start and led 23-11 after the first quarter and increased that advantage to 41-27 at the half. At one point in the second quarter, the Demons led by 17, and the game appeared to be a rout. It didn't help Philly that their MBA MVP forward Leonard Pinth Garnel sat out much of the contest in foul trouble.

Philly, still suffering from Garnel's inability to contribute, managed to make things interesting in the second half, whittling the lead to five with plenty of time left in the contest (40 time units). But just as they did so, Garnel left the game with fouls with 38 ticks remaining.

Rebounding was a key in this game, with the victors out-doing the visitors 28-19. Center Blob Dylan of Philly was held rebound-less.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

37 GVP...Fifth-year Dallas forward VENIAL SINN surprised the hell out of everyone in Dallas by totally out-playing league MVP Leonard Pinth Garnel and earning his first POG of the campaign, regular or post-season. The 6-8 Sinn was a beast on the boards, pulling down a game-high 12 caroms while scoring a game-high 22 points, with 6 of his 10 field goals coming on rim-rattling slam dunks. He was 10 for 16 from the floor and 2 of 5 from the foul line, with 2 assists and a steal. After a fine regular season (his first as a starter), the twin brother of Sacramento forward Mordle Sinn came into this game struggling in the post-season, shooting just 37.5 percent with a 5 point per game average. He upped that scoring average to 9.5 with 5.5 rebounds per game. 

Other 20-plus GVP performers

31 GVP...Dallas power forward Nick Kenpoop...20 points (3 slams)...4 rebounds...3 steals...2 blocked shots...2 assists. 

26 GVP...Philadelphia point guard Tut "The Pharoah" Ankhamun...17 points (3 treys)...6 assists...3 rebounds.

26 GVP...Philadelphia's retiring shooting guard Itstha Bishop...first triple-double of career...15 points...6 assists...5 rebounds.

22 GVP...Philadelphia power forward Philibuck Davia...15 points (4 slams)...5 rebounds...1 assist...1 steal.

NEXT UP: The home team has defended its tabletop in both games and Philadelphia hopes this holds true as the team returns to The Slab of Brotherly Love for a ctucial Game 3.

Season 58 MBA Finals Game 1...Dallas at Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA 72, DALLAS 62

PHILLY SLAMS DOOR ON DALLAS COMEBACK

PHILADELPHIA -- The MBA's best defense stopped the league's top scoring team cold in the fourth quarter, holding the six-time-defending champion Dallas Demons to just 9 points in a huge 72-62 Game 1 Philadelphia victory to start the Season 58 Finals.

The visiting Demons, trailing and struggling to score for the entire first half, seemed to find their offense in the third quarter, scoring 20 points to take a 53-51 lead going into the last stanza before the Phobia turned their water all the way off.

That kind of defensive display has been present all season for Philly, who held opponents to just 65.3 points per game during the regular season and squashed Sacramento's output in the SemiFinals to 65 per contest. Dallas entered the Finals with an 8-game winning streak and the 11th best team scoring numbers of all time, but were treated just as rudely by Philadelphia, which extended its own win streak to 7 with this victory. 

Dallas' Hall of Fame guard, Juzan Djinn, had perhaps the roughest go of it offensively, scoring just 6 points on 2 of 9 shooting. 

MBA fans were treated to a battle royale at the center post, where two of the league's top pivots locked horns, both having brilliant games.

This was just the third time in history that these two franchises have met in the Finals. The other two times were way back in Seasons 22, with a repeat in Season 23...both won by Philadelphia.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

30 GVP...Dallas center POOP-RUPIAH 3000 was the prize of the Season 58 MBA draft, and is largely responsible for the Demons returning to the Finals despite the champs losing two Hall of Fame starters to retirement. Last season's Playoff MVP for Oklahoma City was fairly pedestian in the SemiFinals win against Los Angeles, but the All-MBA center rose to the occasion against the best defender in the MBA, Blob Dylan. The 6-9, fourth-year 3000 used 5 slam dunks on the way to a 16-point effort against Dylan, sparking the third-quarter rally that gave his club the lead. 3000 was 7 for 10 from the floor, 2 for 2 from the foul line, grabbed a game-high 9 boards, registered a game-high 2 thefts, assisted twice and blocked 1 shot.

Other 20-plus GVP perfomers

26 GVP...Philadelphia center Blob Dylan...19 points...4 rebounds...3 blocked shots.

25 GVP...Philadelphia point guard Tut Ankhamun...19 points...3 rebounds...3 assists.

23 GVP...Philadelphia's retiring shooting guard Itstha Bishop...14 points...5 rebounds...4 assists.

21 GVP...Dallas point guard Mini Carfartt...18 points...2 rebounds...1 assist.

21 GVP...Dallas power forward Nick Kenpoop...14 points...5 rebounds...1 assist...1 steal.

NEXT UP: The teams travel to Dallas, where the champion Demons need a win on their home court to even up this best of 5 Finals.

Season 58 ... SemiFinals Game 2...Philadelphia at Sacramento

PHILADELPHIA 65, SACRAMENTO 64

PHOBIA 'D' SNUFFS OUT R-DOGS

SACRAMENTO -- Philadelphia's Itstha Bishop force-missed what would have been a game-winning 3-pointer by Sacramento's Bellybutton Inquisition on the final time unit, giving the visiting Phobia a 65-64 win and a ticket to the team's first Finals in eight seasons.

That play was fiitting, as the league's best defensive team all season held the River Dogs to a paltry 37.7 percent shooting. The suffocating D was at its best in the final 24 time units.Trailing by 5, Philadelphia proceeded to shut out the River Dogs the rest of the way when any kind of a River Dogs score could have wrapped up the game for the home team.

The winning bucket, delivered at the 2 time unit mark, came from an unlikely source, with Phobia substitute guard Whitey "White Boy" White hitting a clutch medium jumper. Sacramento had held the lead for the previous 42 time units up to that point, but never by more than the aforementioned 5.

The Philadelphia win sets up the Season 58 Finals between the two winningest MBA teams in history (Philly with 16 championships) and Dallas (with 11 titles, including the last 6 in a row...a record).

PLAYER OF THE GAME

29 GVP...Sacramento point guard RABBIT MUNCHERS came into the playoffs after earning the MBA's Most Improved Player honor and a berth on the Second Team All-MBA, finishing third in the league in scoring at 19.1 ppg. He did not disappoint in the playoffs, tying for the leading scorer in Game 1 and posting a game-high 23 points in this soul-wrenching defeat. He was 7 for 14 from the floor, potting 2 out of 4 from deep and going 7 for 11 from the foul line. He dominated his man Tut Ankhamun, causing him to foul out early in the fourth quarter. While playing tough defense all game long, the 6-3 Munchers hit the boards for 6 rebounds as well. He finished with a post-season average of 20.5 per game...high for the two-game series. With Spring about to burst on the scene, he now has time to be a menace to Phil and other gardeners across the Midwest.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

26 GVP...Retiring Sacramento power forward Satan Israel...18 points (3 slams)...8 rebounds.

25 GVP...Philadelphia small forward Leonard Pinth Garnel, the MBA's regular season MVP...8th triple-double of his career and fourth this season...13 points...6 rebounds...5 assists...1 steal.

20 GVP...Philadelphia's retiring shooting guard Itstha Bishop...17 points (3 treys)...2 rebounds...1 assist.

NEXT UP: Dallas at Philadelphia Game 1 of Finals