Lariats coast to within one win of second title

OKLAHOMA CITY 87, SEATTLE 76
LARIATS, LED BY MASTERFALCON TAKE GAME 2
SEATTLE--The final score does not reflect how easily the visiting Oklahoma City Lariats won this contest. The favored Oklahoma City team started the game on an 11-0 run that, in the end, turned out to be the winning margin of victory. On the way, they led by as many as 23 points, and by 16 entering the final quarter. The final score is actually as close as the home team ever got to getting back in the contest.

Oklahoma City won this one, basically, without the services of its all-everything Hall of Fame guard Naf Naf, who played very little and took just 6 shots before finally fouling out with 53 time units remaining in the game. But the rest of the Lariats, especially Yipeekayee Masterfalcon, rallied to make winning this contest appear easy.

The teams now return to Oklahoma City where the Lariats are expected to clinch the Season 40 title in front of the home crowd.

Game note: Just three fouls by Seattle in the entire game.

PLAYER OF GAME
Oklahoma City shooting guard YIPEEKAYEE MASTERFALCON, played most of the game at the point, thanks to the foul trouble his running mate Naf Naf found himself in throughout the contest. The sixth-year, two-time All-MBA guard responded with a game-high 23 points on 8 of 14 shooting that included 5-for-7 from 3-Point Land. He also tied for team high in assists with 3 and pulled down 3 boards.

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMERS
-- Hall of Fame center Max Payne of Oklahoma City scored 18 points and led his team in rebounds with 7. The co-leader in steals this season had a game-high 3 thefts as well as a game-high 2 blocked shots and got a slight upper hand in this battle of 7-foot centers.

-- Second-year Lariats forward Bang-Bang Reiner scored 16 points, pulled down 4 boards and tied for a team-high 5 assists.

-- Point guard Ginger Vampire of Seattle dominated Naf Naf with a team-high 20-point performance, with Naf in constant foul trouble before eventually fouling out. Vampire added 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 rebound.

-- Seattle shooting guard Bob Kittle had a game-high 6 assists and 15 points.

-- Retiring Seattle center George Gershwin battled hard against his Hall of Fame opponent in the pivot, coming up with a game-high 9 rebounds, 15 points and 1 steal. Five of his 7 buckets were beautiful-move dunks and one of the remaining other hoops a 3-pointer.