MOUNTAINEERS OUT-GUN STAMPEDE IN PLAYOFF OPENER
CHARLESTON -- The top two scoring teams in the MBA put on a wild, wooly and highly entertaining offensive display before the still undefeated Mountaineers pulled away for a 102-92 win in the opening game of this best of three playoff match-up.
In the end the difference was Hall of Fame guard and league MVP Naf Naf of Charleston and the defense of the winning Mountaineers.
Trailing 76-73 going into the fourth quarter, Charleston broke the game open with an 11-0 run to start the last 70 time units, and Seattle could never quite recover.
Considering the poker-hot start of the game by the Mountaineers, it's a wonder that Seattle was even in the contest at all. Charleston's first quarter, where they scored 37 points on 15 of 17 shooting, was among the best that can be recalled in MBA history. But Seattle did not lay down and die, coming back to tie the game at halftime and take the lead going into the final frame. In truth, it's hard to imagine the Stampede playing a better game than they displayed in this one.
But in the end, led by Naf's 37-point effort, Charleston secured their 11th consecutive victory of the season.
The series now returns to Seattle for a do-or-die win for the Stampede.
SPECIAL GAME NOTE: For the first time in the entire history of the MBA, a player was booted out of the contest for accumulating two technical fouls for fighting. That player was second-year Charleston forward Wawa Wewa, who missed the entire second half of the game. His first incident came with one time unit left in the first quarter, when he got into fisticuffs with big Pap Smearz of Seattle, who won that battle. Then, again with time running out in the second quarter (this time with 2 time units remaining) Wewa took exception to Mel A. Noma rubbing his tumor-laden body all up against him and took to wailing on the smaller guard, for which he was then ejected.
Points saved by quarters
Seattle 0 - 0 - 2 - 2 Total=4
Charleston 4 - 5 - 2 - 2 Total=13
Top players, points saved
1. J.J. Gargantuan 6
2. Beezow Bop-Bop 5
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Charleston's Hall of Fame guard NAF NAF was his amazing self in securing this Game 1 win for the Mountaineers. His 37-point performance was the sixth-highest scoring playoff game in history. With this latest output, Naf has four of the seven best playoff scoring games ever, including the top three. In this game he was 13 for 19 from the floor, 10 for 13 from 3-Point Land, 1 for 2 from the foul line, responsible for 1 assist and snagged the only steal in the game. He scored 15 points in the first quarter and hit the first 6 treys he took. In the fourth quarter, with the game on the line, he scored 14 points, leaving the Stampede in his wake.
Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- The other Charleston All-MBA guard, Beezow Bop-Bop, scored 17 points, blocked a game-high 6 shots, had 1 rebound, 1 assist and was second in the game on points saved with 5.
-- Charleston center J.J. Gargantuan hit the board hard for the Mountaineers, leading all players with 8 while scoring 15 points, blocking 4 shots and saving a game-high 6 points on defense.
-- Charleston forward Mike Hunt performed wonderfully while subbing for the ejected "Bad Boy" Wawa Wewa. In a little more than half a game, Hunt scored 14 points, pulled down 5 rebounds and dished out a team-high (tied) 3 assists.
-- Point guard Mel A. Noma of Seattle could not slow down the offensive efforts of Naf Naf, but did his best to match the output. Noma tied for his team's high in points, scoring 21, while pulling down 4 boards and dishing out 2 assists.
-- Seattle two-guard Bob Kittle kept pace with his man, Bop-Bop, scoring 17 points, tying for game-high in assists with 4 and grabbing 1 rebound.
-- Stampede center Naceg Gecan hooked horns once more with nemesis Gargantuan and played him to a near standstill. Gecan scored 16 points, tied for team-high with 6 rebounds and dished 2 assists.
-- Any way you look at it, Seattle power forward Pap Smearz got the better of Pietro Destroyer. Smearz scored 17 points and tied for team-high in rebounds with 6 while handing out 3 assists.
-- Seattle small forward Jairo Capoeira tied for top scorer on his team, scoring 21 points while tying for game-hihg in assists with 4. He also pulled down 3 boards.
NEXT UP: The opener of the other semi-final with Dallas traveling to play two-time defending champion Oklahoma City.
No comments:
Post a Comment