Featured Game No. 6...Oklahoma City at San Jose

NEXT UP: Sacramento (3-2)at Seattle (3-2) in the first of back-to-back games between these two. With San Jose just upsetting Oklahoma City, the margin for error in the race for the second playoff spot in the West got a little more narrow for the River Dogs and the Stampede.

42nd MBA All Star Game in Sacramento / Half-way Mark Stats

West 71, East 69

GINGER VAMPIRE SHINES IN FINAL ALL STAR APPEARANCE FOR VICTORIOUS WEST

SACRAMENTO -- Ginger Vampire and his West Division cohorts came from behind in the fourth quarter to capture this All Star contest 71-69.

It was Vampire who tied the score 58-58 on a fourth-quarter trey, capping a 9-2 West run to put them back in the game.

The lead then changed hands several times down the stretch before Pietro Destroyer of the East had a chance to tie the game with a loose ball 3-pointer that was denied by Bang-Bang Reiner of the West. Vampire then scored again for the West, putting the game out of reach.

The East still holds a 25-17 overall lead in the All Star contests, but the West has come on strong to win the last two in a row and 6 of the last 9.

As for overall All Star Game stat leaders, Hall of Famer Naf Naf's three treys puts him just two behind Cheetos Jones in All Star Game Threes.

Here's the leaders list in that department:
24--Cheetos Jones
22--Naf Naf
18--Mamadou Zongo
17--Ching-Chong Chung
17--Yipeekayee Masterfalcon
15--Tommy Zoop
15--Uncle Bob Masterson
15--Didger A'Doo
15--Doug Fresh
14--Cappy Gambol
14--Stu Nod

ALL STAR GAME MVP
Point guard GINGER VAMPIRE of the Oklahoma City Lariats, playing in his seventh and final All Star Game, won MVP honors for the first time. He follows last season's Oklahoma City point guard Yipeekayee Masterfalcon as MVP and Naf Naf, the Lariats point guard from Season 39. Vampire is the seventh Lariats player to win the MVP honor. He did so scoring a game-high 24 points, grabbing 6 boards, dishing 2 assists and blocking 1 shot. He was 9 for 19 from the floor, including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc and 3 of 4 from the foul line.

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
-- Bang-Bang Reiner, also of Oklahoma City, registered a triple-double in his first All Star Game appearance, scoring 14 points, grabbing 6 boards and tying for game-high in assists with 5.
-- Naf Naf, the Hall of Fame point guard now playing for Charleston, had 14 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists for the East in the loss.
-- Charleston center J.J. Gargantuan of Charleston scored 14 points, grabbed a team-high 6 boards , blocked 1 shot, had 1 steal and assisted once for the West.
-- The ancient one, 16-season veteran forward Gulemon Mon-Mon, playing in his final All Star Game, led his team in scoring with 15 points and grabbed 5 boards.







UP NEXT...BRACKET 6
--FEATURED GAME First-place, two-time defending champ Oklahoma City takes its perfect 5-0 mark on the road to San Jose where they play the second-place Fighting Amigos (3-2) who are in a three-way dog fight for the second playoff spot in the West. Hall of Fame center Max Payne returns from his two-game injury for Oklahoma City. First of two straight games between these two.

-- The other two playoff contenders in the West square off as Sacramento (3-2) visits Seattle (3-2), with the winner almost certainly moving into second place. Also the first of two straight games between these two contenders.

-- The East leader Charleston (5-0) goes to Chicago to pound lumps on win-less Chicago (0-5). They beat them 101-78 in their first meeting, the only 100-point game thus far this season. J.J. Gargantuan was the Player of the Game in that one.

-- Second in the East Dallas (2-3) hosts third-place Milwaukee (2-3), with the Demons looking to firm up their playoff grip.

-- A pair of 1-4 teams square off in a cross-over as Los Angeles looks to break its four-game losing streak at Philadelphia, which has lost 3 in a row.

Season 42 All Star Game rosters announced

ALL STAR GAME INFO

-- Just one rookie, Potus Obama of Sacramento, made the All Star Game

-- There are five first-time All Stars this year, with forward Jairo Capoiera of Seattle waiting the longest to make it for the first time...six seasons. Apparently, Capoiera was satisfied to the point of announcing his retirment at the end of this season.

-- In addition to Capoiera, five other players who made the All Star rosters (a total of six) will hang it up after this season. Among those are Hall of Fame center Max Payne of Oklahoma City, fellow center Naceg Gecan of Seattle, forward Gulemon Mon-Mon of Dallas, guard Ginger Vampire of Oklahoma City and forward Vic Hitler of Los Angeles.

-- Fourth and fifth-year players accounted for the most players on All Star rosters with four players each from those respective classes.

-- Max Payne, with his 11th All Star roster spot, has now ascended to the top of the All Star list. He was previously in a deadlock with Uncle Bob Masterson and Mamadou Zongo, with 10 All Star spots, for the all-time top number. Also ascending the All Star selection list are Ginger Vampire, and Naceg Gecan, both earning their seventh spots and Gulemon Mon-Mon, making it for the sixth time. Unfortunately, every one of the ascendant players will be retiring after this season.

-- Additionally, Max Payne now moves up the ranks in the Hall of Fame, garnering his 21st career award. He is now tied for second most honored player with Uncle Bob Masterson, trailing only Curly Hogbottom's 25 awards.

-- Also moving up in the Hall of Fame rankings is Naf Naf, whose All Star Game addition gives him 18 career honors. Naf moves past Stu Nod and Link Lennex into a tie for seventh-most-honored player of all time with Boone Doggle and Mamadou Zongo.

-- Here is a list of the 12 most recent All Star Game MVPs:
Season 41 Yipeekayee Masterfalcon, Oklahoma City
Season 40 Beezow Bop-Bop, Charleston
Season 39 Naf Naf, Oklahoma City
Season 38 T.Kanes Masterson, Philadelphia
Season 37 Didger A'doo, Chicago
Season 36 Didger A'doo, Chicago
and Vic Hitler, Houston
Season 35 Smokey Talisker, Seattle
Season 34 Smokey Talisker, Seattle
Season 33 Ching-Chong Chung, Houston
Season 32 L.B. Damned, San Jose
Season 31 Cheetos Jones, Philadelphia
Season 30 Max Payne, Dallas

-- The most MVPs of the All Star Game belong to Hall of Famers Uncle Bob Masterson and Tommy Zoop, who each won the award three times.

-- Gulemon Mon-Mon will be in the starting lineup for the sixth time in his career. Only four other players have earned more starting All Star Game spots in MBA history. Also rising on the list are Ginger Vampire and Naf Naf with five starts each. Here's the full list of five or more starts:
1. Curly Hogbottom 9
2. Mamadou Zongo 8
3. Boone Doggle 7
3. Uncle Bob Masterson 7
5. Gulemon Mon-Mon 6
5. Diamond Dallas Paige 6
5. Soul Duran 6
5. Ching-Chong Chung 6
5. Tommy Zoop 6
5. Sagittal Occlusal 6
11.Ginger Vampire 5
11.Naf Naf 5
11.Marcus Pettis 5
11. Link Lennex 5
11. Jonny Cockaroo 5
11. Max Payne 5

-- The East has won the All Star Game 25 times while the West has won 16 times.
The West, however, has won 10 of the last 15 games, including last season's.

MBA ANNOUNCES SEASON 42 RETIREMENTS

Scan the list MBA fans and you'll see some pretty major names will be leaving the league at the conclusion of Season 42.

The hardest hit team and most noteworthy regarding retirements is two-time defending champion Oklahoma City, which will be losing the greatest center of all time, Hall of Famer Max Payne, along with star point guard Ginger Vampire, arguably a borderline Hall of Famer himself.

Seattle, the league's oldest team, lost the most players with four, including a pair of starters in forward Jairo Capoeira and longtime Tyler favorite center Naceg Gecan.

Dallas lost a pair of starters as well, including the powerful power forward Gulemon Mon-Mon, yet another player who was approaching Hall of Fame status but will now probably fall short.

Sacramento, Los Angeles and Chicago were all hit by a key starter hanging it up.

Four teams, including current powerhouse Charleston, escaped totally, although San Jose lost a good back-up forward.

Although this crop of retirees seems like an especially brutal hit to the MBA talent pool, it must be pointed out that the 12 players lost from MBA rosters falls short of the 18 who hung it up last season.
Nine starters will be retiring after this season, compared to the 10 who retired last season.

FEATURED GAME NO. 5...SACRAMENTO AT OKLAHOMA CITY

Featured Game Charleston vs. Philadelphia

Featured Game 10/31/18 Dallas at Charleston

Featured Game Oklahoma City at Los Angeles

Featured Game

HALL OF FAME RANKINGS UPDATE ENTERING SEASON 42

Max Payne has moved up from 6th to 3rd all-time in Season 41 just one award behind the great Uncle Bob Masterson and four behind No. 1 ranked Curly Hogbottom.

Meanwhile, in just five seasons, Naf Naf has tied for the No. 9 spot with such luminaries as Link Lennex and Stu Nod, jumping from 13th place and passing two of the best centers the league has ever seen in Diamond Dallas Paige and Jonny Cockaroo.

And the Hall further welcomes the 45th member of its fraternity, Yipeekayee Masterfalcon, who joined in style in his final season by gaining a championship ring and Most Valuable Player of the Playoffs award. Masterfalcon settles in tied for 27th best player ever.

Finally, the Hall recognizes the retirement of Hrundi V. Bakshi, the 6-7 superstar who hung it up after 13 campaigns, resting solidly in a tie for fourth-best player ever with Sagittal Occlusal and Cappy Gambol...heady company, indeed.

HALL OF FAME RANKINGS
1. Curly Hogbottom 6-10 Forward Seasons 16-24 (9) 25 awards

2. Uncle Bob Masterson 6-2 Guard Seasons 4-13 (10) 21 awards

3. Max Payne 7-0 Center Seasons26-? (16+) 20 awards STILL ACTIVE (up from 6th place)

4. Sagittal Occlusal 6-8 Forward Seasons 25-32 (8) 19 awards
4. Cappy Gambol 6-6 Guard Seasons 1-7 (7) 19 awards
4. Hrundi V. Bakshi 6-7 Guard Seasons 29-41 (13) 19 awards

7. Boone Doggle 6-10 Forward Seasons 23-31 (9) 18 awards
7. Mamadou Zongo 6-4 Guard Seasons 15-31 (17) 18 awards

9. Link Lennex 6-7 Forward Seasons 7-12 (6) 17 awards
9. Stu Nod 6-3 Guard Seasons 6-17 (12) 17 awards
9. Naf Naf 6-0 Guard Seasons 37-? (5+) 17 awards STILL ACTIVE (up from 13TH)

12. Diamond Dallas Paige 6-11 Center Seasons 12-18 (7) 16 awards
12. Jonny Cockaroo 6-9 Center Seasons 18-29 (12) 16 awards

14. Doc Watson 6-2 Guard Seasons 9-17 (9) 15 awards
14. Cam Bodia 6-6 Forward Seasons 15-25 (11) 15 awards

16. Cheetos Jones 5-11 Guard Seasons 28-34 (7) 14 awards
16. Dan Mann 6-1 Guard Seasons 5-13 (9) 14 awards

18. Tommy Zoop 6-6 Guard Seasons 18-24 (7) 13 awards
18. Guru Gannon 6-7 Forward Seasons 11-17 (7) 13 awards
18. Raisin Sport 6-9 Forward Seasons 1-13 (13) 13 awards

21. Bill Rustler 6-9 Center Seasons 1-10 (10) 12 awards
21. Rip Slamjam 6-11 Center Seasons 5-19 (15) 12 awards

23. Ching-Chong Chung 5-10 Guard Seasons 26-37 (11) 11 awards
23. Tom Kondla 6-8 Center Seasons 28-33 (6) 11 awards
23. Shucks Oyster 6-4 Guard Seasons 17-22 (6) 11 awards
23. Gato Do Mato 6-11 Forward Seasons 30-36 (7) 11 awards

27. Joey Two-Tones 6-3 Guard Seasons 18-23 (6) 10 awards
27. Soul Duran 6-3 Guard Seasons 3-8 (6) 10 awards
27. Bart Pitbull 7-2 Center Seasons 17-23 (7) 10 awards
27. Shooter Flatch 6-7 Forward Seasons 19-25 (7) 10 awards
27. Alex Pal 6-11 Center Seasons 5-10 (6) 10 awards
27. Doug Fresh 5-11 Guard Seasons 1-15 (15) 10 awards
27. Art Vandelay 6-7 Forward Seasons 34-39 (3) 10 awards
27. Yipeekayee Masterfalcon 6-4 Guard Seasons 35-41 (7) 10 awards (Most Recent Inductee)

VETERANS COMMITTEE SELECTIONS
35. Marshall Stax 6-7 Forward Seasons 7-13 (7) 9 awards
35. Mable Reed 7-1 Center Seasons 6-16 (10) 9 awards
35. Tarjetas Indice 6-7 Forward Seasons 9-17 (9) 9 awards
35. Ama Spikie 6-8 Center Seasons 29-37 (9) 9 awards
35. Bub Wright 6-5 Forward Seasons 1-7 (7) 9 awards
35. Tug Hershorts 6-11 Forward Seasons 25-33 (9) 9 awards
35. Lemon Jell-o 6-1 Guard Seasons 30-39 (10) 9 awards

42. Silo Chamberlin 5-10 Guard Seasons 1-6 (6) 8 awards
42. Benny Gumm 6-0 Guard Seasons 19-31 (13) 8 awards
42. Oscar Mudcat 6-6 Guard Seasons 1-8 (8) 8 awards
42. Rowdy Ron Clutch 6-7 Forward Seasons 1-9 (9) 8 awards

Season 42 MBA Preview

If pre-season predictions are to be believed, the MBA will see the same four teams, Oklahoma City, Charleston, Dallas and San Jose back in the playoffs. But the deeper West could surprise with as many as four playoff hopefuls, while the East has Philadelphia possibly in the mix.

THE WEST

Oklahoma City Lariats
PREDICTED FINISH: D-First, T-Second
SEASON 41 RECORD AND FINISH: First, 9-1 (5-1) Champions!
MOST RECENT PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: Season 41
ROSTER TURNOVER: 50 percent
BIGGEST LOSSES: G-Yipeekayee Masterfalcon (17.6 ppg)retired, F-Pap Smearz (14.2 ppg) traded
BIGGEST ADDITIONS: G-Ginger Vampire (17.5 ppg)in trade, C-Carga Larga (10.9 ppg, 5.4 RPG)in trade
WEAKNESS: Less depth at forward than last season.
STRENGTH: Overall Depth, Defense, Offense
THE SKINNY: Two-time defending champs lost second Hall of Fame guard in as many seasons with retirement of Masterfalcon. Owner decided to go for third straight title by acquiring veteran point guard Ginger Vampire to replace him, also strengthening center position by getting Carga Larga to back up 17-season Hall of Famer Max Payne in the pivot. Will it be enough? Bang-Bang Reiner is a better scorer who will move into the position vacated by Smearz, but Smearz provided defense and rebounding too. The Lariats should have a solid chance of defending their title again.


San Jose Fighting Amigos
PREDICTED FINISH: D-Second, T-First
SEASON 41 RECORD AND FINISH: Second, 5-5 (0-2)
MOST RECENT PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: Season 41
ROSTER TURNOVER: 30 percent (tied for least turnover)
BIGGEST LOSSES: F-Doo-Rag Dripp (18.5 ppg in playoffs)free agency
BIGGEST ADDITIONS: F-Kyle Sherwood (10.7 ppg)free agent in draft
WEAKNESS: Defense at guard position, scoring at forward position
STRENGTH: Front court depth is best in league, top scoring guard tandem
THE SKINNY: San Jose lost a great young scorer and defender at forward when Doo-Rag Dripp declared himself a free agent in the draft. But the team recovered by getting an even better defender at forward, Kyle Sherwood. They return the best scoring guard tandem in the league in YourMajesty Lumpkins (18.3 ppg) and Dayshotta Leo (18.2 ppg), the league's top rebounder in center Pippi Pippistrelli (6.6 per game) and defensive forward stalwart Blue "Rondo" Alaturk. Back-court back ups Sven Marquardt, Eggyolk Carpaccio and Hunk R. Down are superb. Will it be enough to topple Lariats?

Los Angeles Big One
PREDICTED FINISH: D-Third, T-Fourth
SEASON 41 RECORD AND FINISH: Last, 2-8
MOST RECENT PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: Season 36
ROSTER TURNOVER: 60 percent (tied for biggest turnover)(Oldest roster in league)
BIGGEST LOSSES: G-Bingo Bango (10.8 ppg in limited action)
BIGGEST ADDITIONS: C-Chutcher Mouthchair (rookie in draft), G-Steve Carter (13.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg) in cut draft
WEAKNESS: Passing, with Mouthchair team's best passer and defense
STRENGTH: Scoring and depth
THE SKINNY: Easily the most improved team in the league, The Big One did a roster makeover, coming up with three new pieces who make them an instant playoff contender. Mouthchair is the most heralded new center to enter the league since Tom "The Bomb" Kondla joined Seattle 14 campaigns ago. Carter and rookie Avenish McDoogle solidfy the guard spot.

Seattle Stampede
PREDICTED FINISH: D-Last, T-Third
SEASON 41 RECORD AND FINISH: Fourth, 4-6
MOST RECENT PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: Season 40
ROSTER TURNOVER: 40 percent
BIGGEST LOSSES: G-Ginger Vampire (17.5 ppg)traded
BIGGEST ADDITIONS: C-Naceg Gecan (12.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg)free agent in draft, F-Pap Smearz (14.2 ppg)via trade
WEAKNESS: Rebounding, especially at guard where two weak rebounders will hurt
STRENGTH: League's worst defense (85.1 ppg) should get better just by adding Smearz.
THE SKINNY: If everything goes just right for Seattle, they could contend for a playoff spot. If Gecan has another good year it might be enough to offset the loss of their fearless leader, Vampire.

Sacramento River Dogs
PREDICTED FINISH: D-Fourth, T-Last
SEASON 41 RECORD AND FINISH: Third, 5-5
MOST RECENT PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: Season 34
ROSTER TURNOVER: 60 percent (tied for biggest roster turnover in league)
BIGGEST LOSSES: F-Bill Cull (19.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg)free agent, Steve Carter (13.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg) free agent, F-Kyle Sherwood (10.7 ppg)free agent
BIGGEST ADDITIONS: F-Doo-Rag Dripp (18.5 ppg in playoffs) via trade, F-Tea Time Typhoo (14.0 ppg)free agent draft, G-Potus Obama rookie via trade
WEAKNESS: Unproven guard tandem of Obama and Con Gusto and questionable bench strength
STRENGTH: Very solid front line, but only if Tree Fiddy rebounds from his horrible season at center
THE SKINNY: Decimated by free agency exodus, league's youngest roster could still surprise with a playoff push.


The East

Charleston Mountaineers
PREDICTED FINISH: First (unanimous)
SEASON 41 RECORD AND FINISH: First 8-2 (3-3)
MOST RECENT PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: Season 41
ROSTER TURNOVER: 40 percent
BIGGEST LOSSES: F-B. Quiet,(13.0 ppg) retired
BIGGEST ADDITIONS: None
WEAKNESS: Rebounding again. Depth took a big hit with retirement of Walt White and Hodor, loss of Eggyolk Carpaccio.
STRENGTH: There should be no drop-off in scoring for MBA's top offense (86.5 ppg). Defense should be second again.
THE SKINNY: Perennial favorites in the East are the unanimous pick to take top spot for third straight season. Tyler thinks they will go unbeaten, although we all know how difficult that is. Two-time All-MBA forward B. Quiet retires and the Mountaineers plug in second-year player Wawa Wewa who is steadier on defense and a great passer and shooter. Naf Naf is coming off five consecutive MVPs and scoring titles, Beezow Bop-Bop, J.J. Gargantuan and Pietro Destroyer are all among the best at their positions. Their passing is 8-8-7-6-5. They look unbeatable in the East.

Dallas Demons
PREDICTED FINISH: Second (unanimous)
SEASON 41 RECORD AND FINISH: Second, 5-5 (0-2)
MOST RECENT PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: Season 41
ROSTER TURNOVER: 30 percent (tied for least turnover in league)
BIGGEST LOSSES: C-Naceg Gecan (12.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg) free agent draft, G-Wimsy Greenfoyle (15.4 ppg) retired
BIGGEST ADDITIONS: G-Bingo Bango (10.8 ppg in limited action)
WEAKNESS: Can they score enough? Eighth last season. Lost two good scorers, gained back one.
STRENGTH: League's oldest starting lineup is solid at all positions.
THE SKINNY: The Demons will be without their leader, center Naceg Gecan, for the first time in seven seasons. Losing him will probably mean they won't lead the league in rebounds again, but his replacement, Steve "Drunk Uncle" Bromberger, is solid, if unspectacular. Bango will replace Greenfoyle with ease and may be an All-MBA candidate. Mon-Mon and Boogart have been at forward, seemingly forever, but they are both still more than capable.

Philadelphia Phobia
PREDICTED FINISH: Third (unanimous)
SEASON 41 RECORD AND FINISH: Third 4-6
MOST RECENT PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: Season 38
ROSTER TURNOVER: 30 percent (tied for least turnover in league)
BIGGEST LOSSES: None
BIGGEST ADDITIONS: F-Shwayze rookie draft pick.
WEAKNESS: A second top-notch scorer to go with Colquitt Croix.
STRENGTH: Guard Colquitt Croix, averaging over 20 per game his first two seasons in the league.
THE SKINNY: Getting 6-11 rookie forward Shwayze should help Phobia out of their league-worst rebounding position, but team goes from Croix's 20.5 ppg to second-best 13.2 by forward Poodle "Stix" Jackson...a big drop-off. Still, if the unselfish Croix (twice All-MBA in two seasons) ups his scoring just a tad, they could surpass Dallas.

Chicago Gale
PREDICTED FINISH: Fourth (unanimous)
SEASON 41 RECORD AND FINISH: Last, 4-6
MOST RECENT PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: Season 38
ROSTER TURNOVER: 40 percent
BIGGEST LOSSES: None
BIGGEST ADDITIONS: F-Bill Cull (19.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg) free agent in draft, C-Yo Noid (league-leading 35 blocks) in trade.
WEAKNESS: Despite addition of Cull, still scoring for league's worst scoring team of year ago (67.0 per game).
STRENGTH: Yet to be determined. Had MBA's third-best defense, but Cull adds scoring, subtracts defense.
THE SKINNY: With two straight last-place finishes, main goal is avoiding cellar again and having to roll to possibly leave Chicago. Gale's 4-6 record not indicative of last-place team and they should beat out Milwaukee.

Milwaukee Greyhounds
PREDICTED FINISH: Last (unanimous)
SEASON 41 RECORD AND FINISH: Third, 4-6
MOST RECENT PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: Season 40
ROSTER TURNOVER: 40 percent
BIGGEST LOSSES: G-Yu Raing (16.6 ppg) retired, F-Danke Shame (11.5 ppg) retired
BIGGEST ADDITIONS: F-Flip Testerton, excellent defender and rebounder in trade from Sacramento.
WEAKNESS: Scoring. Forward Baba Brinkman is only starter to have ever scored more than 13 per game.
STRENGTH: None.
THE SKINNY: The new worst team in the league has first two Sacramento picks next season.

INDIVIDUAL AWARD PREDICTIONS

All-MBA First Team
G - Naf Naf, Charleston
G - Colquitt Croix, Philadelphia
C - Max Payne, Oklahoma City (Tyler's pick) or Chutcher Mouthchair, Los Angeles (Dave's pick)
F - Bill Cull, Chicago
F - Doo-Rag Dripp, Sacramento (Tyler's pick) or Baba Brinkman, Milwaukee (Dave's pick)

League MVP
G - Naf Naf, Charleston

Rookie of Year
C - Chutcher Mouthchair, Los Angeles

Rookie Team
G - Potus Obama, Sacramento
G - Avenish "The Drooler" McDoogle, Los Angeles
C - Chutcher Mouthchair, Los Angeles
F - Schwayze, Philadelphia
F - Goodbar "Muddy" Masterson, Oklahoma City

MOST INDIVDUAL AWARDS ENTERING SEASON 42
20-Hall of Famer Max Payne, Oklahoma City (going into 17th season)

17-Hall of Famer Naf Naf, Charleston (going into 6th season)

7-Pippi Pippistrelli, San Jose (going into 5th season)
7-Vic Hitler, Los Angeles (going into 7th season)
7-Ginger Vampire, Oklahoma City (going into 7th season)
7-Naceg Gecan, Seattle (going into 8th season)
7-Beezow Bop-Bop, Charleston (going into 9th season)
7-Gulemon Mon-Mon, Dallas (going into 16th season)

6-J.J. Gargantuan, Charleston (going into 5th season)
6-Diss Reflexia, Philadelphia (going into 7th season)

PLAYERS 10 SEASONS OR OLDER ENTERING SEASON 42
17-Max Payne, Oklahoma City (starter)
16-Gulemon Mon-Mon, Dallas (starter)
14-Steve Carter, Los Angeles (starter)
12-Wayan Garuda, Los Angeles
11-Ginger Vampire, Oklahoma City (starter)
10-Matthew Vanden Boogart, Dallas (starter)
10-Giacoma Ferrari, San Jose
10-Vermin Supreme, Philadelphia

New this season. We will be pre-selecting one game from each bracket (based on top teams competing) to be highlighted in game report with scoresheet.

Next Up: Opening Day--Milwaukee at Oklahoma City.

Ranking the Rookies--Season 42

Despite the fact that just three of the 16 rookies entering the MBA will be immediate starters, this is not a bad crop of newcomers. The top rated rookie has definite Hall of Fame potential with the ability to lift a franchise. Just four rookies start off in the cut pile, with one who will definitely made the grade at some point.

1. Chutcher Mouthchair, 6-11 center, Los Angeles--Big boy has brilliant moves around the basket. Not only will he start, he'll be the best player on The Big One and should challenge a talented center group for All-MBA honors. Top rook.

2. Avenish "The Drooler" McDoogle, 6-5 guard, Los Angeles--Good sized guard who should get a lot of playing time for Los Angeles. Can play either guard position, is excellent passer, good rebounder and defender. Will push to start soon.

3. Shwayze, 6-11 forward, Philadelphia--Giant power forward will be a rebounding force for Philly and goes right into the Phobia starting lineup. Will solidify that position. Good shooter who rarely shoots. Decent, not great defender.

4. Potus Obama, 6-5 guard, Sacramento--Good-sized guard who will start at the two for the R-Dogs. Will fill it up from medium zone. Can play either guard position, good ball-handler, good defender. Sacramento mortgaged future to get.

5. Peeshie Pooshie, 6-1 guard, Dallas--Undersized guard can score from anywhere and plays OK defense. Not a good enough passer to play the point.

6. Goodbar "Muddy" Masterson, 6-7 forward, Oklahoma City--First forward off pines for two-time defending champs. Good shot from short and low but rarely takes it. Shot blocker but otherwise not much on D. OK rebounder.

7. Juan Kibble, 6-1 guard, Sacramento--Drafted and cut by Seattle. Will be first River Dogs guard off bench. Undersized. Good ball-handler can play either guard position. Effective shot everywhere but beyond the arc.

8. Anurag Dickshit, 6-7 forward, Los Angeles--Will be first forward off the bench for The Big One. Good hops, decent defense. Not a great shot.

9. Jonk Vanderdonk, 6-10 center in cut pile--A victim of circumstances landed him in cut pile. Drafted by Los Angeles, which also drafted top rookie Mouthchair. Can score short and low and should make the MBA soon.

10. Oy Yoy-Yoy, 6-8 forward, Seattle--May push veteran Harry Verducci for first forward off bench. Can shoot from all zones, (tremendously from beyond arc), plays decent defense (bit of a hacker) and a good rebounder.

11. Sheik Yerbouti, 6-9 forward, Charleston--Good size, good rebounder will be first forward off bench for East favorites. Can score down low but has penchant to take treys, which he doesn't hit. Decent on defense.

12. Jefferson "Budweiser" McNuggets, 7-1 center, Dallas--Biggest newcomer is nothing less than a fantastic rebounder. Will back up Steve "Drunk Uncle" Bromberger for now due to defensive limitations. Average offensively at best.

13. Benji Ballou, 6-7 center,Philadelphia--Like the 6-7 center (Diss Reflexia) he'll back up, better than his size would suggest, especially on defense. Awful rebounder is a good shot but has no moves.

14. Tom Gould, 6-1 guard, in cut pile--drafted and cut by Los Angeles. Terrible outside shot who plays some defense.

15. Atticus Finch, 6-8 forward in cut pile--drafted and cut by Seattle. Some good down-low moves, but otherwise...

16. Spicey "Chicken" Choop-Choop, 6-4 guard in cut pile--drafted and cut by Milwaukee. Good size, nothing else.

Back of the Envelopes up to Season 41

Since Tyler asked for the back of the envelope records, I thought I might as well put them on the blog site where anyone can refer to them at any time.

The three pix show:

First pix --Top left Los Angeles (Houston); top right Oklahoma City;
Bottom left San Jose; Bottom right Sacramento

Second pix--Top left Milwaukee; top right Seattle;
Bottom left Chicago; Bottom right Charleston

Third Pix-- Top Dallas;
Bottom Philadelphia

Season 42 MBA Free Agents, Draft and Trades

FREE AGENTS
Thirteen players, including eight starters, declared for free agency prior to the Season 42 draft. Only two teams, Philadelphia and the two-time defending champion Oklahoma City Lariats were unscathed by defections.

The Sacramento River Dogs, who had finally climbed into a position of respectability after a 5-5 season, had their hopes dashed once more by being the hardest hit team in terms of losses. Three starters, guard Steve Carter, forward Kyle Sherwood and All-MBA forward Bill Cull all left.

Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Dallas and San Jose all lost one starter, with Chicago (three lost total) and San Jose (two lost) joining Sacramento in losing more than one player overall.

Milwaukee and Charleston were relatively unhurt, each losing one non-starter.



THE DRAFT
Time will tell, but the Los Angeles Big One probably had the best draft, nailing down what looks like the top rookie in center Chutcher Mouthchair in the regular draft and two more starters, guards Steve Carter and Avenish "the Drooler" McDoogle in the cut draft.

After the smoke cleared (and the cut draft completed) Seattle and Charleston came away with the least amount of new talent.



IMPROVEMENTS/DEPROVEMENTS
Sacramento was decimated in free agency, but recovered somewhat when newly drafted forward Tea Time Typhoo showed good improvement on his outside shooting, center Tree Fiddy improved his short shot and his passing and forward Flip Testerton became markedly better defensively.

And woe to the rest of the league, Hall of Fame Charleston guard Naf Naf made three big improvements going into his sixth season, improving his passing, defense against the dribble and against the shot.





TRADES
Three major trades dispersed the talent a bit more evenly, filling the holes on some teams while putting the future of others in jeopardy through the trading of future draft picks.

-- Chicago, in desperate need of a center, got last season's leading shot blocker, Yo Noid, from Los Angeles, giving up its second pick in the Season 43 draft.

-- Sacramento gave up its first two draft picks next season to Milwaukee, getting in exchange second-year forward Doo-Ragg Dripp and rookie guard Potus Obama.

-- Two-time defending champ Oklahoma City is giving it a go for a third consecutive title, giving away excellent starting forward Pap Smearz and the just-acquired center Naceg Gecan to Seattle in order to get veteran point guard Ginger Vampire to run the offense. Second-year center Carga Larga was a toss-in by Seattle.

THE SEASON 42 SCHEDULE


COMING: We will list the rookies and rank them. Team-by-team predictions.

Season 41 Playoffs Summary

--This was the third Oklahoma City Lariats championship, the other two coming in Season 35 and Season 40.
--Retiring point guard Yipeekayee Masterfalcon has earned Hall of Fame status, thanks to being named MVP of the Playoffs and getting his third championship ring. Masterfalcon ends his career with 10 awards, three rings, four All Star Game appearances, two All-MBA stars and one MVP of the Playoffs. He is the 46th member of the Hallowed Hall and will be listed as tied for 28th most honored player in MBA history.
--Hall of Fame center Max Payne has played three of his 16 seasons with Oklahoma City. All three of those seasons resulted in championships for the Lariats.
--This championship gives Max Payne 6 championship rings. It ties him for first place in career championship rings with fellow Hall of Fame members Cam Bodia and Tug Hershorts.












THIS WAS THE LARIATS PREVIEW COMING INTO SEASON 41

Oklahoma City Lariats
PREDICTED FINISH: First
SEASON 40 RECORD AND FINISH: First, 8-2 (5-0) Champions!
MOST RECENT PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: Season 40
ROSTER TURNOVER: 40 percent
BIGGEST LOSSES: G-Naf Naf
BIGGEST ADDITIONS: F-Pap Smearz, G-Akbar Zagobia
WEAKNESS: League’s oldest overall roster
STRENGTH: Depth, Defense, Offense
THE SKINNY: Suffered the worst single loss by any MBA team ever but still considered big favorite to win the West. They are so deep that forward Bang-Bang Reiner and his second-leading team scoring average of 16.8 starts the campaign off the bench. Zagobia makes the league’s strongest defensive team even stronger. Don’t pity the Lariats.

Season 41 Finals Game 4...Oklahoma City at Charleston

Oklahoma City 81, Charleston 78
LARIATS EDGE MOUNTAINEERS FOR BACK-TO-BACK TITLES
CHARLESTON -- Despite their 9-1 regular season record, none of the three MBA experts picked the Oklahoma City Lariats to repeat as champions when the Season 41 MBA Finals began. But thanks to a Game 4 barn-burning road victory that went down to the final shot, the visitors captured the third title in franchise history; their second in a row and third in the past 7 seasons.

With his team leading by 2 points with 2 time units remaining, Sloppy Dollop of Oklahoma City was at the foul line shooting a pair with a chance to seal the deal. But he left the door open when he hit the first charity toss, but missed the second. J.J. Gargantuan of Charleston grabbed the rebound, flung it to Beezow Bop-Bop beyond the arc with 1 time unit remaining, but Bop-Bop's potential game-tying trey never got a chance to leave his hands because Oklahoma City's Akbar Zagobia denied him the opportunity to shoot. (He would have missed anyway...we know this for a fact, which is why the MBA is superior to any other league.)

Thus, the ghost of 9-1 seasons for the Oklahoma City franchise has been exorcised. Consider the following:
On four other occasions the Lariats went into the playoffs with a regular season record of 9-1 but came home without an orange championship basketball icon to affix onto their envelope.
Season 12 9-1 (lost in the finals)
Season 13 9-1 (lost in the finals)
Season 17 9-1 (lost in the finals)
Season 37 9-1 (lost in the semifinals)

And that's not even counting Season 18 when the Lariats went 10-0, only to lose in the semifinals.

But not this season. This season they defended their Season 40 championship despite losing Hall of Famer Naf Naf, the most prolific scorer in MBA history, to the team they defeated in the Finals. They did so with depth, a league-leading defense and a league-leading assist mark.

The title-clinching game was the closest of the Finals, with Naf Naf nearly foiling his old team down the stretch.
Here's how the end of the contest went:
-- Charleston, led by Naf Naf, stages a big comeback, coming from 9 down to within 4 points with 17 ticks left
-- Sloppy Dollop of Oklahoma City hits a HUGE trey and is fouled with 16 left. He hits the free throw. Up 8.
-- Naf Naf immediately answers with a 3-pointer for Charleston with 15 left. Lead is down to 5.
-- Pap Smearz of Oklahoma City swishes a short jumper over a forced miss by Destroyer. Lead back up to 7
-- Naf Naf hits another trey with 9 ticks left and the lead is back down to 4.
-- J.J. Gargantuan of Charleston twice denies made baskets down low by Max Payne of OKC. Mountaineers ball with 6 left.
-- J.J. Gargantuan jams one home with 4 ticks left to bring Charleston within 2 points of the lead.
-- Sloppy Dollop of OKC misses a shot down low with 2 ticks left that would have clinched it. But B. Quiet fouls him.
That brings us to the summary we originally described.

PLAYER OF THE GAME
Second-year forward SLOPPY DOLLOP of Oklahoma City came into this important game averaging just 10 points a game in the playoffs. But the 6-7 small forward showed up like a champ in this one with a game-high 26 point performance that included 11 of 15 shooting, 2 for 2 from 3-Point Land, a pair of dunks, 2 for 3 from the foul line, a game-high 6 rebounds and 2 assists.

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMERS
-- Oklahoma City's retiring point guard Yipeekayee Masterfalcon continued to shine, bowing out of the MBA picture with a 20-point game that included 6 treys, two of them coming back-to-back in the fourth quarter. In fact all six of his buckets were 3s...he was 6 of 7 from deep for the game. He also had 2 rebounds and 3 assists. He may be the Playoff MVP when the final tallies are made. If he is, he retires as a Hall of Famer. Even if he doesn't win MVP, Masterfalcon says "adios" with 9 honors on his card, which has always been good for an eventual HOF berth.
-- Oklahoma City forward Pap Smearz scores 16 points, pulls down 5 boards, blocks 1 shot and gets 1 assist. And he gets his third ring for a third different franchise in the past four seasons.
-- Eight-year star guard Beezow Bop-Bop of Charleston scored 20 points, pilfered a game-high 3 steals, blocked 2 shots, had 2 rebounds and dished out 2 assists.
-- Hall of Famer Naf Naf of Charleston scored a team-high 25 points, 12 coming in the fourth quarter when he was moved back to the point guard position. He also grabbed 2 rebounds.
-- In the last game of his illustrious Charleston career, forward B. Quiet scored 15 points, led all players with 5 assists and grabbed 1 rebound.

As a team, Oklahoma City prevented 16 points and produced 2 turnovers.
As a team, Charleston prevented 13 points and produced 4 turnovers.

Top individuals in points prevented (saved points...points saved)
1. Max Payne of Oklahoma City, 8 points prevented
2. J. J. Gargantuan of Charleston, 6 points prevented
3. Beezow Bop-Bop of Charleston, 5 points prevented

Top individuals in turnovers caused
1. Beezow Bop-Bop of Charleston, 3 turnovers caused
2. Max Payne of Oklahoma City, 2 turnovers caused
3. J.J. Gargantuan of Charleston, 1 turnover caused

Game Note
The following exciting sequence ending the first half is indicative of the frenzied action. This all happened in the last four time units.
-- Masterfalcon of Oklahoma City nails a trey
-- Naf Naf of Charleston nails a trey
-- Masterfalcon of Oklahoma City nails a trey
-- Naf of Charleston shoots a trey at the horn that goes in, then out.


NEXT UP: Stats, MVP of the Playoffs announcement.

Season 41 MBA Finals Game 3...Charleston at Oklahoma City

Charleston 95, Oklahoma City 59
MOUNTAINEERS STAY ALIVE WITH PRODIGIOUS WIN
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Charleston Mountaineers took a couple of quarters to warm up, but when they finally started clicking they turned this must-win road game into a 95-59 rout. In addition to keeping the Charleston club alive, the win put an end to the longest winning streak in MBA history...13 games.

It appeared that Charleston's move of having Beezow Bop-Bop play point guard and cover Oklahoma City stalwart Yipeekayee Masterfalcon was a good one for a number of reasons and will be continued when the clubs return to Charleston for Game 4.
At least a trio of Masterfalcon treys would have been good without Bop-Bop slapping them away, but even so, a Custer-like massacre would not have been avoided.

Twelfth-season veteran Walt White of Charleston keyed the turnaround for the visitors in the second and third quarters hitting his first three treys of the playoffs. A 33-12 third quarter for the Mountaineers pretty much sealed the deal.

Will the Lariats now counter by moving Masterfalcon to the shooting guard spot. If they do, Charleston, as the home team, has the option of moving Naf back to the point and away from Masterfalcon.

This series has started to get real.

PLAYER OF THE GAME
He fouled and sat the bench on the very first time unit of the game, took just two shots in the first half, but recovered to win his second POG of the playoffs with his game-high 23-point effort. Hall of Famer NAF NAF ended up with 4 fouls for the third time in three Finals games, but was sparkling from beyond the arc with a 6 for 6 performance, fouling out Akbar Zagobia in the process. Naf also had 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal.

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMERS
-- Charleston center J.J. Gargantuan also had his best game of the Finals, scoring 14 points, blocking a game-high 4 shots, posting a game-high for steals with 2 and grabbing 3 boards.
-- Charleston power forward Pietro Destroyer also contributed 14 points and a team-high 5 boards while dishing 2 assists.
-- The retiring substitute guard Walt White of Charleston keyed the comeback in this game, scoring 19 points on just 8 shots, pulling down 3 rebounds, getting 1 steal and 1 assist.
-- Even though he was somewhat stymied in the scoring column by Bop-Bop, Yipeekayee Masterfalcon of Oklahoma City still put up a triple-double for his team. His 12 points were accompanied by game-highs in both rebounds (6) and assists (6). It was the fourth triple-double of his career.

NEXT UP: Back to Charleston with Oklahoma City leading the best of five Finals 2 games to 1.

Season 41 Finals Game 2 Oklahoma City at Charleston

Oklahoma City 94, Charleston 82
LARIATS SHOCK, DOMINATE MOUNTAINEERS AGAIN
CHARLESTON -- The Oklahoma City Lariats are threatening to run the playoff table for the second straight year, already turning the once-favored Charleston Mountaineers into Finals underdogs by dealing them a 94-82 Game 2 drubbing.

The win, the 13th consecutive victory for Benny Gumm's Oklahoma City charges, puts them one victory away from the third franchise championship and its second in a row.

Once again former teammates Yipeekayee Masterfalcon of the Lariats and Hall of Famer Naf Naf of the Mountaineers were keys to the game, with the former luring his point guard opposite into constant foul trouble. Without Naf, Oklahoma City took a comfortable 13-point lead into the final stanza, and even the Hall of Fame guard's 13-point final quarter could not get his team within shouting distance.

"We will just have to change gears," said the frustrated Charleston coach, Bill Rustler, following the game. "For the first time in his career we're going to switch Naf Naf to the two guard to hopefully keep him out of foul trouble. And maybe Bop-Bop can slow down Masterfalcon. He's killing us."

PLAYER OF GAME
Now a strong candidate for Playoff MVP, retiring Oklahoma City point guard YIPEEKAYEE MASTERFALCON notched his third POG of the playoffs and his second consecutive POG in the Finals, out-doing his Game 1 31-point effort with a 33-point performance. Again the high scorer, Masterfalcon was 12 for 19 from the field, dropping in 7 3s in 11 attempts and keeping Naf on the bench in foul trouble. He added 2 rebounds and 5 assists. A ring and a playoff MVP will send him off to retirement with 10 lifetime honors and a Hall of Fame berth.

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMERS
-- Second-year shooting guard Akbar Zagobia of Oklahoma City, obtained in a pre-season trade with Los Angeles, registered the first triple-double of his young career with a 17-point, 6-rebound, 6-assist performance. The 6-4 guard led everyone in rebounds and led his team in assists. He also added one steal.
-- The other key addition to the Lariats team, power forward Pap Smearz, was outstanding as well, with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 1 blocked shot, 1 steal and 1 assist.
-- Oklahoma City's other forward, Sloppy Dollop, put up 15 points, grabbed 4 boards, blocked 1 shot and had 1 assist.
-- Despite spending an interminable time on the bench, Charleston Hall of Fame guard Naf Naf finished with a team-high 29 points, matching Masterfalcon's 7 treys, and adding 2 rebounds and 1 assist.
-- Charleston's two-guard, Beezow Bop-Bop had a bad shooting game, scoring just 8 points, but he led everyone in assists with 7 and tied for the most blocked shots in the game with 2, also pulling down 3 rebounds.
-- Charleston forward Pietro Destroyer scored 13 points, had 4 boards, 2 assists, 1 block and 1 steal.
-- A Charleston first-team all-timer, retiring forward B. Quiet may have played his last game before the home fans. If so, he went out strong with 18 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist.

NEXT UP: Can the Oklahoma City Lariats win their 14th consecutive game and match the all-time mark of 14-1 for the season as owned by Season 34's Houston Iguanas? They will attempt to do so in front of their home fans at The Bunkhouse.

Season 41 MBA Finals Game 1 Charleston at Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City 74, Charleston 59
LARIATS DEFENSE ROPES, STRANGLES MOUNTAINEERS
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The MBA's best defense stopped the league's most prolific offense dead in its tracks to take Game 1 of the Season 41 Finals, 74-59, extending their amazing winning streak to 12.

The visiting Mountaineers were coming off semi-final victories where they tallied 96 and 97 points, but they had yet to run up against the smothering defenders of Oklahoma City.

Charleston came out swinging hard with a potent 22-point first quarter. But even in their brilliance, the visitors were accumulating fouls, most especially Naf Naf, who hit the bench with his second with 28 time units remaining. He sat again for 65 time units in the second when he picked up his third foul 5 time units in and again in the third with 22 left when he was whistled for number 4.

Defense for both teams was outstanding, but especially for the Lariats, much to the delight of the screaming, whooping Bunkhouse crowd. Neither team even shot 50 percent, with a combined total of 15 blocked shots making things dangerous for the offensive-minded. Two of the league's best centers stymied each other, with Charleston's J.J. Gargantuan limiting Hall of Famer and All-MBA pivot Max Payne to just 6 points, blocking 5 shots. Payne was even better, blocking 3 shots and shutting Gargantuan completely out. That match-up will be a brawl all series long.

The over-aggressive defense of Charleston gave the home team a 16-1 advantage at the foul line and resulted in a technical foul on Mountaineers coach Bill Rustler in the fourth quarter when he let loose with a tirade at one of the officials that included the phrase "You sir, are an oxygen thief."

PLAYER OF GAME
YIPEEKAYEE MASTERFALCON buried his former running mate at guard, Hall of Famer Naf Naf, who was making his first trip back to Oklahoma City. Masterfalcon posted a sizzling game-high 31 points, shooting 10 for 14 and 4 for 5 from beyond the arc. He was also 7 for 9 from the free throw line, pulled down 6 rebounds and dished out a game-high 4 assists. It's his second POG of the playoffs and second in a row.

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
-- Oklahoma City power forward Pap Smearz destroyed Pietro Destroyer, holding him to just 6 points. In the meantime, Smearz scored 16, grabbed 6 rebounds, had 3 assists, 2 blocked shots and 1 steal.
-- Charleston shooting guard Beezow Bop-Bop has a habit of coming up huge in the post-season, having won two Playoff MVP awards. He led his team in scoring in this game with 22 points, pulling down 4 boards, tying for team-high with 3 assists and blocking 3 shots.

OKLAHOMA CITY VS. CHARLESTON
* This is the first time these two teams have ever met in the MBA finals.
* The last time they met in the playoffs was Season 27, where Charleston won 2-1 in the semis and went on to win their second title in a row.
* The last time the two teams even played each other was Season 37 in the season opener won by Oklahoma City. Both teams would win their divisions but lose in the semifinals. Seattle won the title that season.
* Both teams entered the Finals this season on winning streaks...Charleston with 5 and Oklahoma City 11.
* Charleston led in career victories 18-10 coming into the Finals. It's now 18-11.

NEXT UP: To Charleston, where the Mountaineers look to even the series.

Semifinals Game 2 Charleston at San Jose

Charleston 97, San Jose 80
MOUNTAINEERS CLOSE OUT AMIGOS, CHAMP SHOWDOWN NEXT
SAN JOSE -- For the third time this season, the Charleston Mountaineers easily dispatched the San Jose Fighting Amigos, setting up a powerhouse finals with defending champion Oklahoma City.

This time, Charleston won by 17 points, 97-80, the closest margin of the three Season 41 meetings between these two. The other two wins were 97-78 in the regular season, in the game Naf Naf was injured and scored just two points, and 96-76 in the first playoff game in which Naf went off for 44.

The visitors seemingly did not need the Hall of Fame point guard in this game, with Naf sitting for much of the first half, taking just two shots and scoring two points. No matter, because Charleston was still on a nearly 100-point pace, leading 49-36 at the half.

The Mountaineers showed their versatility throughout, dishing out 20 assists, one short of the playoff record held jointly by Philadelphia in Season 18 and Charleston's last championship squad of Season 39.

The closest San Jose would come was 8 points early in the fourth, but then Naf kicked in and Charleston sped on to their destiny meeting with Oklahoma City.

PLAYER OF GAME
J.J. GARGANTUAN took his game to another level when faced with first-time starter Hunk R. Down of San Jose. Gargantuan was high scorer with 23 points, going 11 for 15, with 4 slam dunks and a 3-pointer for good measure. He pulled down 5 boards, tied for game-high in assists with 4 and registered the highest number of blocks in the contest with 4. Additionally, he tied for the highest number of steals with 2.

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
-- Hall of Famer Naf Naf of Charleston went into the fourth quarter with just 8 points, but emerged with 19 for the game, adding an assist and squelching any comeback hopes by San Jose.
-- Naf Naf's Charleston running mate at guard, Beezow Bop-Bop was his usual steady self, getting 14 points, 3 rebounds, tying for top total in steals with 2, blocking 1 shot and handing out 2 assists.
-- Before fouling out, veteran forward B. Quiet of Charleston pulled down a team-high 6 rebounds, added 10 points, 3 assists and 1 blocked shot.
-- Second-year 7-foot center Hunk R. Down of San Jose had his hands full in his first start ever, going up against the gifted J.J. Gargantuan. But Down put up some nice numbers of his own, scoring 14 points, grabbing a game-high 7 rebounds and blocking a team-high 3 shots while adding 2 assists.
-- Another San Jose youngster, rookie forward Doo-Rag Dripp followed his Game 1 performance of 18 points with a team-high 19 in this loss. He also had 3 rebounds and 1 assist.

Game note: The retiring Bruce Hammer of San Jose finished his career in style. In a very short stint in the second quarter, he came in and did the MBA MOVE, the rarely seen slam dunk off of your own missed 3-point shot. And on the very next possession, he drove the lane and slammed one home. He was then removed to a smattering of applause.

Worth Noting: The top four rated centers in the MBA this season were from the four teams that made the playoffs.

NEXT UP: The best of five showdown between defending champion Oklahoma City (9-1, 2-0), riding an 11-game win streak against Charleston (8-2, 2-0) and the man who led the Lariats to last season's title, Naf Naf.
Game one is in Oklahoma City. Buckle up, people.

Semifinals Game 2...Oklahoma City at Dallas

Oklahoma City 79, Dallas 78
DEMONS DIE VALIANTLY TO DEFENDING CHAMPS
DALLAS -- The 0-2 ledger on the back of their envelope will fail to reflect the mighty battles fought by the Dallas Demons against the heavily favored defending champions from Oklahoma City.

After going down in overtime in the first playoff skirmish, the home team Demons and their veteran front line again gave the Lariats all they could handle in Game 2 before bowing 79-78.

In a game in which they never led, Dallas scored the first 6 points of the fourth quarter and tied the score 63-63 with 54 time units remaining. They remained solidly in the game, despite losing both starting guards, Bootlace Barnaby to injury and Wimsy Greenfoyle to fouls, and playing with two under 6-foot rookies for the last 30 time units.

With 5 time units remaining and his team down 3 points, 15-season veteran Gulemon Mon-Mon grabbed a Lariat miss and took his hulking, slow, 6-11 body the length of the court to score and get his team within 1 point, 79-78.

But the savvy Lariats used three of the remaining four time units before Sloppy Dollop missed a short jumper, and the last hope of the Demons faded when Oklahoma City's Hall of Fame center, Max Payne, secured the rebound as the buzzer sounded.

This may be the last hurrah for the Dallas team, with four of its five starters of retirement age and one for sure, Wimsy Greenfoyle, going off to the greener envelopes beyond the MBA.

Now Oklahoma City awaits the winner of the other series to see if it can hang on to the treasured title of MBA champions.


PLAYER OF GAME
GULEMON MON-MON, the seemingly ageless power forward of the Dallas Demons, was spectacular in defeat, scoring a team-high 23 points and pulling down a game-high 7 rebounds. Mon-Mon, who spent nine of his 15 seasons playing for Oklahoma City, torched his old team with an 11 for 12 shooting day, going 1 for 2 from beyond the arc, with that long ball the only one he missed all game. He also pounded down a dunk and dished out 1 assist. He did all this despite taking a 30-time unit rest in the third quarter.

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
-- Point guard Yipeekayee Masterfalcon, POG of Game 1, was again excellent for Oklahoma City in this one, scoring a game-high 24 points, including a pair of clutch treys down the home stretch. He also had 2 rebounds and 4 assists.
-- Akbar Zagobia, acquired in the only off-season trade of the preseason by the Lariats, has been a valuable addition, especially thus far in the post-season. He scored 15 points, grabbed 2 rebounds and dished out 3 assists.
-- Power forward Pap Smearz of Oklahoma City popped in 12 points, blocked 2 shots, grabbed 2 boards and assisted on a game-high 8 buckets in the win.
-- 6-10 Dallas center Naceg Gecan played Hall of Famer Max Payne to a virtual standstill. Gecan scored 14 points, pulled down 6 rebounds, blocked 1 shot and had 1 assist.
-- Dallas' small forward Matthew Vanden Boogart scored 20 points, grabbed 3 rebounds and had 1 assist. We are forced to admit after nine seasons, that this guy is a player.

NEXT UP: Overall MBA favorite Charleston looks to wrap up its semifinal series in front of the San Jose fans. Coach Augustus McCrae of the Fighting Amigos is seriously thinking of shaking up the lineup by substituting second-year center Hunk R. Down for two-time All-MBA pivot Pippi Pippistrelli.
"We've lost by 19 points and 20 points to this team this season," said McCrae. "So fuck it."

Semifinals Game 1 San Jose at Charleston

Charleston 96, San Jose 76
NAF NAF BURNS NETS FOR 44; MOUNTAINEERS TAKE OPENER
CHARLESTON -- The most prolific scorer in the history of the MBA went off for his new team to open the Season 41 playoffs, as Naf Naf scored 44 points to lead Charleston over San Jose, 96-76.

In doing so, Naf, now in his fifth campaign, tied the top playoff mark he set in last year's championship clincher for Oklahoma City over Seattle. It was the third time in his storied career that the 6-foot sharp-shooter has reached the 44 mark, which is his personal best for a game. He now holds the three highest-scoring playoff games in MBA history.

As in their regular season cross-over meeting, the game between the league's top two scoring teams was closely contested for three quarters before Charleston pulled away to win by 20 (they won by 19 earlier). The Fighting Amigos kept pace and actually led after one quarter, 22-20, despite Naf exploding for 14 points (4 for 4 on treys). He would scorch the twine for three more triples in a row in the second before finally missing on his eighth.

San Jose stayed within six points of the lead going into the fourth quarter, but when Naf slowed his pace to just 5 more points, the home Mountaineers allowed just 10 to the Amigos and sped away with 24 more tallies of their own.

PLAYER OF GAME
NAF NAF of Charleston was brilliantly efficient in his 44-point effort, going 15 for 20 from the floor, 9 for 11 from beyond the arc and 5 for 9 from the charity stripe. He also grabbed 2 rebounds, had 2 assists and 1 steal. He scored 14 in the first, 14 in the second, 11 in the third and 5 in the fourth.

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
-- He lost the rebound battle to his counter-part, but otherwise, Charleston center J.J. Gargantuan dominated Pippi Pippistrelli. The fourth-year pivot scored 17 points, led both teams in both blocked shots (4) and steals (2), grabbed 2 rebounds and had 1 assist.
-- Veteran Charleston forward B. Quiet scored 15 points, was high on the team with 4 assist, pulled down 2 rebounds and was 2-for-2 beyond the arc.
-- Shooting guard Dayshotta Leo of San Jose tied for his team's top scoring honors with 18 points, grabbed 4 boards, dished out 3 assists and pretty much out-played Beezow Bop-Bop.
-- Playing power forward in the absence of Sven Marquardt, San Jose's Blue "Rondo" Alaturk got the goods on Pietro Destroyer, scoring 16 points, grabbing 5 boards and getting a pair of assists.
-- San Jose's rookie forward Doo-Rag Dripp was outstanding, matching the play of Quiet and earning another start. Dripp tied for his team's high-scoring mark with 18, missing just one of 10 shots, and pulled down 3 boards.

NEXT UP: After falling in overtime, Dallas tries to stave off elimination with an upset home win against Oklahoma City.




Top Scoring Games All Time through Season 41
50 Tommy Zoop, Oklahoma City, Season 24

49 Horn E. Goatweed, Milwaukee, Season 24

44 Naf Naf, Charleston, Playoffs vs. San Jose, Season 41
44 Naf Naf, Oklahoma City, Playoffs vs. Seattle, Season 40
44 Soul Duran, Chicago, Season 7
44 Naf Naf, Oklahoma City, Season 38
44 Tommy Zoop, Chicago, Season 21

42 Funsy VanSlochum, San Jose, Season 26
42 Naf Naf, Charleston, Season 41
42 Naf Naf, Charleston, Season 41

41 Naf Naf, Oklahoma City, Playoffs Season 40
41 Uncle Bob Masterson, Philadelphia, Season 11
41 Ching-Chong Chung, Houston, Season 31

40 Shooter Flatch, Dallas, Season 20

39 Pelton Crane, Chicago, Season 40
39 Silo Chamberlain, Charleston, Season 1
39 Naf Naf, Oklahoma City, Season 39
39 M.E. "Lou" Harris, Seattle, Season 15
39 Simon Barsinister, Philadelphia, Season 36
39 Nipple Rings Raguski, Seattle, Season 20
39 L.B. Damned, San Jose, Season 36

38 Slip Pearson, Houston, Season 8
38 Tommy Zoop, Chicago, Season 22
38 Dan Mann, Milwaukee, Playoffs in Season 9
38 Dan Mann, Milwaukee, Playoffs in Season 12
38 Tommy Zoop, Milwaukee, Season 20
38 Naf Naf, Oklahoma City, Season 37
38 Hrundi V. Bakshi, Los Angeles, Season 40

37 Cappy Gambol, Milwaukee, Season 3
37 Uncle Bob Masterson, Philadelphia, Season 4
37 Soul Duran, Houston, Season 5
37 Uncle Bob Masterson, Philadelphis, Playoffs in Season 8
37 Benny Gumm, Charleston, Season 25
37 Cheetos Jones, Philadelphia, Season 33
37 B. Quiet, Charleston, Season 40
37 Naf Naf, Oklahoma City, Season 40
37 Naf Naf Oklahoma City, Season 40

Semifinals Game 1 Dallas at Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City 72, Dallas 67 OVERTIME
LARIATS ESCAPE WITH OVERTIME WIN IN OPENER
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Season 41's playoffs started with an overtime thriller, with highly favored and defending champion Oklahoma City having to scramble back from a 12-point deficit to win in overtime.

Substitute guard Theon Greyjoy of Oklahoma City, playing for fouled out Akbar Zagobia, hit an open medium jumper on the last time unit of regulation to tie the game 61-61 and send it to overtime. Up to that point, Greyjoy missed all three of the shots he took. Getting the assist on that key hoop was Lariats point guard Yipeekayee Masterfalcon, who dished out 8 helpers in the win.

Wimsy Greenfoyle started the extra period with a driving bucket for Dallas, but Greyjoy then hit a trey to give the home team a lead it never relinquished. The game was put on ice when Hall of Fame Oklahoma City center Max Payne got his fifth block of the contest off Naceg Gecan, which was immediately followed by the first trey of the game by Masterfalcon, who was fouled and made the resultant free throw. That gave the Lariats a 5-point lead with just 8 time units remaining, all but sealing the victory.

In a game that featured the top two rebounding teams in the MBA, Dallas out-boarded the home squad 29-18, accounting for much of their success throughout the contest.

This was the 10th consecutive victory by Oklahoma City.

They now hold a 1-0 edge in the best of three semis.

PLAYER OF GAME
He had a rugged time from beyond the arc, but pin-point passing by YIPEEKAYEE MASTERFALCON of Oklahoma City led to numerous key buckets and a game-high 8 assists. The 7-year vet, retiring after this season, scored 15 points on 5 for 11 shooting (1 for 7 from 3-pt Land) and was 4 for 7 from the free-throw line. The 6-4 guard also pulled down 4 boards and had 1 steal. He opened the scoring for the Lariats with a slam-dunk put-back.

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMERS
-- Now in his 16th season, All-MBA center Max Payne led the fourth-quarter charge for the Lariats, ending the game tied for high scorer with 16. He pulled down 3 rebounds, had 1 assist and swatted away a game-high 5 shots. He was a perfect 7 for 7 from the floor.
-- Second-year small forward Sloppy Dollop of Oklahoma City played his usual well-balanced game, getting 10 points , pulling down 3 boards, dishing 4 steals, blocking 2 shots and getting 1 steal.
-- Retiring shooting guard Wimsy Greenfoyle of Dallas tied for game-high in scoring with 16 points, pulled down 5 rebounds, had 2 assists and 1 steal.
-- Seventh-year center Naceg Gecan of Dallas, second in the league in rebounding this season, pounded the glass for a game-high 8 rebounds, scored 8 points, had 3 assists and 1 steal.
-- Now in his 15th season, Dallas power forward Gulemon Mon-Mon again accosted the backboards, grabbing 7 rebounds (he was third in the league behind Gecan in this department). Mon-Mon scored 13 points and dished out 1 assist in a solid outing.



Dallas prevented 20 points via defense while Oklahoma City prevented 18.
Dallas caused 5 turnovers while Oklahoma City caused 9 turnovers.

Max Payne of Oklahoma City prevented the most points -- 10
Gulemon Mon-Mon and Matthew Vanden Boogart of Dallas each prevented 7 points.

Max Payne and Pap Smearz of Oklahoma City tied for causing the most turnovers with 3 each.
Matthew Vanden Boogart of Dallas caused 2 turnovers.

NEXT UP: San Jose (5-5) travels to Charleston (8-2) in Game 1 of the other semi-final series. San Jose was defeated 99-78 during the regular season by the Mountaineers.

Season 41 Regular Season Wrap Up

As you can see, only three of the MBA's 10 teams finished with positive point differentials. Those three, plus Dallas, will be in the post-season.
Milwaukee and Seattle are out from last year's playoff teams, replaced by San Jose and Dallas.
As was the case last season, the two division winners, defending champion Oklahoma City and Charleston, are heavy favorites to meet in the finals. Charleston was derailed by Seattle in the semi-finals last season, but it is expected that this year, the power-packed finals will see the Lariats vs. the Mountaineers.
The Semi-finals match Oklahoma City with Dallas and Charleston against San Jose.
Charleston beat San Jose in a regular season cross-over game 97-78.
Oklahoma City bested Dallas in a regular season cross-over game 78-62.
Should they meet in the finals, keep in mind that Dallas and Charleston split their two games, while Oklahoma City pretty much destroyed San Jose in both meetings.
Charleston and Oklahoma City did not meet during the regular season. In fact, the last time they met was five seasons ago in Season 37 during a cross-over game won by Charleston by 3 points in another season they both won division titles.
The last time Charleston met Oklahoma City in the playoffs was Season 27 when defending champion Charleston bested Oklahoma City 2 games to 1 in the semis. (Gule Mon-Mon of Dallas played for the Lariats in that series and was injured the final two games.)
Any predictions from the MBA public?
My predictions: sweeps in the first round by Charleston and Oklahoma City, then Charleston besting Oklahoma City in the finals 3 games to 1.










Next Up: Let the playoffs begin. First game will pit Dallas at Oklahoma City.

MBA at the Halfway Point -- Season 41

NEXT BRACKET
-- Sacramento at San Jose for first of two consecutive home-at-home meetings which may decide a playoff spot.
-- Seattle at Oklahoma City in first of two straight home-at-homes. Stampede needs at least one of these games.
-- Milwaukee at Charleston in a first- vs. second-place battle in the East.
-- Philadelphia at Chicago in first of two home-at-homes with both teams coming off big victories.
-- Los Angeles at Dallas in cross-over contest that could put Demons back in playoff hunt.






FINAL ALL STAR GAME NOTE: Oklahoma City's Yipeekayee Masterfalcon's 6 made treys in the All Star Game move him up to a tie for third place all time on the All Star Game career list with Ching-Chong Chung. He now has 17 treys (and forever will due to his retirement after this season), trailing 1. Cheetos Jones, 24 2. Naf Naf 19 3. Mamadou Zongo 18.

41st All Star Game and recent MVPs

The 41st All Star Game Teams Announced

ALL STAR GAME FACTS
-- Only two players who started the Season 40 game return as starters this season...Colquitt Croix and Pippi Pippistrelli.

-- 12 of the 20 All Stars are back from last season's game

-- Just two rookies made the All Star Game, both from Chicago...Santo Thomas and Norman Conquest

-- The oldest player in the game is Hall of Fame center Max Payne of Oklahoma City...in his 16th season

-- Payne's 10th All Star Game appearance ties him with Uncle Bob Masterson and Mamadou Zongo for most all time

-- Ginger Vampire and Naceg Gecan join a list of 30 players who have played in at least 6 All Star Games

-- The East has won 25 times and the West has won 15

-- Since Season 34, when the West won, the teams have alternated victories...if this pattern continues, the West would win this game

-- Three of the last four games have been won by just two points...the exception was Season 38 when the West won by scoring a record 106 points.

-- Conspicuous by their absence: Hall of Famer Hrundi V. Bakshi of Los Angeles, Chicago's Reckless Abandon, Charleston's B. Quiet, Philadelphia's Diss Reflexia, and of course, the injured Naf Naf of Charleston.

-- The most difficult position to make the All Star team has shifted to West Division forward, where 6 players exceeded 20 GVP...the two who missed out were: Tea Time Typhoo of Seattle (22.8) and Kyle Sherwood of Sacramento (22.4).

-- Other players who exceeded 20 GVP but did not make the team were: Steve Carter of Sacramento (20.4), Naf Naf of Charleston (21.1), and rookie Poodle "Stix" Jackson of Philadelphia(20.4).

-- The All Star Game asterisk added to their cards brings the following players that much closer to the Hall of Fame (10 honors needed): Beezow Bop-Bop (7), Naceg Gecan (7), Pippi Pippistrelli (7), Ginger Vampire (7), and Yipeekayee Masterfalcon (8). Masterfalcon is retiring after this season but still has time to make the Hall this season or via the Veteran's Committee after retirement.

-- The addition of his 10th All Star Game asterisk gives Hall of Famer Max Payne 18 lifetime honors, pushing him past Stu Nod and Link Lennex in the Hall of Fame rankings and tying him for sixth greatest player all time with Boone Doggle and Mamadou Zongo.