SAN JOSE WINS FIRST TITLE IN HISTORY

FINALS -- GAME FIVE--- SAN JOSE AT CHARLESTON
San Jose Fighting Amigos 92, Charleston Rebels 82

In honor of the team's name, fans hugged and punched each other in the streets of San Jose.
This one was for Doug Fresh.
And Johnny Fartpants.
And Pumpkins Galore.
And Otto Titzling.
And Allan Toid.
And Tinky Winky.
And Saban T. Hawk.
And Crazy Guggenheim.
And Kip Robinson.
And Lex Lugar.
And Slip Pearson.
And Mike Pics.
And Jim Zeck.
And all those Fighting Amigos who toiled for five consecutive last-place teams from Season 12 through Season 16.
The last shall be first, just as Season 25's edition of San Jose's club became the first team in MBA history to rise from the cellar to the championship from one campaign to the next.
The franchise lacks even one Hall of Famer. Well, you can count Rip Slamjam if you like, who played two of his 14 campaigns on the West Coast.
But now they have Sagittal Occlusal, who, as a 6-8 power forward, became the first player ever to capture the maximum of six awards in this, his rookie campaign (All League, All Star Team, Rookie of the Year, Regular Season MVP, Playoff MVP and a championship ring) while leading the Amigos to their first title in history.
It was Occlusal who led the Amigos to a wild and wooly Game Five victory, a 92-82 win over the Charleston Rebels. Occlusal had 27 points, 7 rebounds and 7 blocked shots. His first blocked shot of the game set a new playoff record for one season, eclipsing the mark of J.D. Jedreat for Charleston way way back in Season 8. It wasn't until Occlusal's 12th shot of the game that he finally missed from the floor.
Ten of his game-high points came in the first quarter. He would score just four more in the second quarter, but the shot-blocking machine, helped by guard Felipe Jazzman (17 points in the game) blitzed the Rebels in the second frame and the Fighting Amigos seemed assured of the championship at halftime, secure in their 57-40, 17 point lead.
But Charleston came roaring back in the third quarter right out of the gate.. Kippy ("As if we had to tell you") Kinski (15 points), Benny Gumm (20 points) and Hall of Fame center Jonny Cockaroo (20 points) began hitting three-pointers. When Rupert Ritzik, plucked just two games earlier from the cut pile to replace injured starter Newty McNewtsalot, hit yet another trey, the Rebels actually grabbed the lead, 66-65. The fourth frame began with San Jose clinging to a 2-point advantage, 72-70, thanks to a 3-pointer from longtime Amigos guard Hacksaw Rooney at the third-quarter buzzer.
But the fourth was all San Jose, and the freakin' title for the freakin' perennial losers.
Losers of the world, take heed, and be of hope.

P.S. Almost unbelievably, every finals game was won by the visiting team.
PPS Nine-year veteran Cuba Chance was huge off the bench for San Jose with 14 points
PPPS The title was the first ever won by a West Coast team. Seattle and Sacramento are still waiting.

Game MVP--Sagittal Occlusal, San Jose
Top Scorer--Sagittal Occlusal, San Jose, 27 points
Top Rebounder--four tied with four
Top Assists--Ed Masterson, San Jose, 4
Top Steals--Ed Masterson, San Jose, 2
Tops in Blocked Shots--Saggital Occlusal, San Jose, 7

Score by Quarters
San Jose 29--57--72--92
Charleston 24--40--70--82