West wins All Star tilt 71-69, but Vampire goes down

WEST 71, EAST 69

SEATTLE -- Fans of the first-place Seattle Stampede watched in horror as their star guard Ginger Vampire suffered a horrible injury on the second time unit of this All Star Game.

The home team West would go on to win a close contest 71-69, but there was little cheering since Vampire, who came into the game as the league's second-highest scorer at 25 points per contest, will now miss the remainder of the regular season (5 games) plus two more playoff contests (should the Stampede even make the playoffs...which is dubious now).

Vampire's injury appeared to be the same one he suffered in Season 34 which caused him to miss three games.

The West has now won 15 All Star Games, with the East still leading with 24 wins.

PLAYER OF GAME
Naf Naf of Oklahoma City became the first Oklahoma City MVP of the All Star Game since Marcus Pettis shared the honor in Season 25. Naf was high scorer in the contest with 26 points and also pulled down a game-high 7 rebounds from his point guard position. He added 2 assists for good measure.
Other 20-plus GVP performers
Poppy Poppalucco of Chicago, playing in his first and last All Star Game, did himself proud, tying for team-high scoring honors for the East with 17 points and game-high in assists with 4. He also had a rebound and a blocked shot.
B. Quiet, Charleston's fine forward, tied Poppalucco for team-high scoring honors with 17, pulling down 3 rebounds and blocking 1 shot.

Quick Rise up List
After just three All Star Games, Naf Naf has moved into fourth place all time for 3-pointers made in the star contest. He has 16, passing Stu Nod (14), Cappy Gambol (14), Doug Fresh (15), Didger A'doo (15), Uncle Bob Masterson (15) and Tommy Zoop (15).
He is just behind Ching-Chong Chung (17), Mamadou Zongo (18) and the leader in this category, Cheetos Jones (24).



NEXT BRACKET OF GAMES
First-place Chicago (4-1) at second-place Milwaukee (3-2) in a battle for the top spot in the East

Oklahoma City (3-2) at Houston (1-4) in a crossover contest that could put have the Lariats primed for first place.

Charleston (2-3) at Philadelphia (1-4) as the struggling Mountaineers look to get back into the playoff picture.

Sacramento (3-2) at Dallas (2-3) in a huge West contest. R-Dogs ambushed them last time 92-67 behind rookie Tree Fiddy.

Seattle (4-1), first in the West, at San Jose (2-3). Stampede's first game without best player Ginger Vampire.

Note: Seattle picked guard Fuzzy Dunlop off the scrap heap to replace Vampire on its roster.

Season 39 All Star Break Report

ALL STAR SELECTIONS MADE


Centers dominated this season's All Star Game selections, as expected, with the maximum number of six (three on each divisional team) being selected.

Hall of Fame center Max Payne of Chicago added a 15th award on his card with this, his eighth All Star Game selection. Payne thus moves past Hall of Fame greats Dan Mann and Cheetos Jones into 12th place all time on the Hall of Fame list. He is tied for 12th place with Doc Watson and Cam Bodia, and is now just one award away from tying Diamond Dallas Paige and Jonny Cockaroo as the most honored center in MBA history.

Seven first-time all stars were selected to the mid-season extravaganza this season (which will take place on the home court of the surprising Seattle Stampede).

Two of the first-timers are rookies Tree Fiddy, the Sacramento center and clear-cut favorite for Rookie of the Year honors, and guard Dayshotta Leo of San Jose.

Chicago's Poppy Poppalucco finally made it to the All Star Game in his ninth season in the league. He and Sacramento forward Harold Arlen (playing in his 6th All Star Game) will both be retiring after this season.

Perennial All Star Game selections Art Vandelay of Chicago and Lemon Jell-o of Dallas each needed just one more award, an All Star Game appearance, to make 10 honors on their card in order to be named to the Hall of Fame. But Jell-o was benched early on for the first time in his career when Dallas acquired T.Kanes Masterson, hindering his chances and Vandelay was edged by second-year forward Baba Brinkman of Milwaukee, who only started his team's last three games thanks to an injury to Teatime Typhoo. So neither Jell-o or Vandelay got that elusive 10th award, and to make matters worse, both will be retiring after this season. Chances are, one or both will eventually get into the Hall via the retired Veterans route.

Players with 20-plus GVPs who did not make the All Star Game were:
-- guard Beezow Bop-Bop of Charleston (20.2)
-- forward Davis Phillips of Philadelphia (20.0)
-- forward Art Vandelay of Charleston (20.4)
All of the above are East Division players.
Hall of Fame guard Hrundi V. Bakshi of Milwaukee (19.4) also failed to make the team.

Chicago, Sacramento and San Jose each placed three players on the team, and every team in the league had at least one player selected.

The All Star Game record stands at 24 wins for the East to 14 for the West

CHICAGO, SEATTLE LEAD DIVISIONS
Defending champion Chicago and their league-leading defense top the East, but Milwaukee and Charleston are still in the hunt.

In the West, Seattle has shocked everyone with its first-place 4-1 record, thanks mainly to Ginger Vampire and mirrors (even though vampires abhor mirrors).

Houston, last in the East, may be moving its franchise if it finishes in the cellar again.