Game 3 Round 1 Season 36 MBA Playoffs--Houston at Oklahoma City

HOUSTON 89, OKLAHOMA CITY 75

IGUANAS' FRONT-LINE FIREPOWER TOO MUCH FOR LARIATS
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Houston Iguanas used three 20-point games from its front line to overwhelm the defending champion Oklahoma Lariats on their own home court, 89-75, sending the visitors into the MBA finals for the third time in the last four seasons.
Rookie forwards Vic Hitler (27 points) and Blue "Rondo" Alaturk (24 points) were joined by veteran Houston center Sanjay Patel (21 points)on the way to victory. Hitler, the league's leading scorer and MVP, who had been shackled by Oklahoma City's Abe Binder in the first two games of the series, went off for 27 points, with 20 coming in the first half. Alaturk was almost as brilliant as the rookie pair led a second-quarter surge that gave the Iguanas an eight-point lead at the break that they would never relinquish. All three of Alaturk's 3-pointers came in the second quarter.
The three-game scoring outburst from Houston included point totals of 81, 85 and 89 points for an average of 85 per game against the team that led the MBA in defense during the regular season, yielding just 68.8 per contest.
Things went south for Oklahoma City early in the second quarter when two early forced rest rolls both went against the home team, putting both starting guards on the bench for a vast majority of the quarter. But, truth be told, even at full strength the Lariats did not outscore Houston in the second half.

20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
-- Houston center Sanjay Patel had 21 points, 3 rebounds, an assist and 3 blocked shots.
-- Houston rookie forward Blue "Rondo" Alaturk erupted for 24 points, grabbed 2 boards, dished out 3 assists and blocked 3 shots.
-- Houston rookie forward Vic Hitler had his best game of the series, leading everyone in both scoring (27 points) and rebounds (6) while dishing out 3 assists.
-- Point guard Walt White of Oklahoma City had 18 points, 5 rebounds and one assist.
-- Shooting guard Lemon Jell-o of Oklahoma City had 16 points, a game-high 3 steals, one assist and one blocked shot.
-- Rookie forward Reckless Abandon of Oklahoma City led his team in scoring with 21 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and registered one steal.


FINALS MATCHES TWO TEAMS FROM THE EAST
The finals will feature Charleston and Houston, both East Division teams. The Mountaineers swept the Iguanas 2-0 during the regular season, winning in Houston 84-72 (with Houston's Vic Hitler the Game MVP) and 81-64 in Charleston in the last regular season game (with Charleston's Beezow Bop-Bop Game MVP).
This will be the second time the two franchises have met in the MBA finals. Charleston won the first meeting in Season 26 3 games to 2 to capture the first championship in team history. Hall of Fame center Jonny Cockaroo of Charleston was the Playoff MVP.
Houston is shooting for its fifth MBA title, having last won it all in Season 34.
Charleston is seeking its third title, with its last coming in Season 27.