SAN JOSE'S PERFECT QUARTER SINKS THE LARIATS
SAN JOSE -- The first-place San Jose Fighting Amigos made the first 17 shots they attempted on the way to dispatching second-place Oklahoma City 81-68 tonight. To the delight of the home team crowd, the Amigos made all 14 of their first quarter shots on the way to a 31-11 lead at the first buzzer. They then proceeded to make three more in a row at the start of the second quarter before San Jose guard Dayshotta Leo finally missed a 3-pointer.
Incredibly, Oklahoma City and a defense that prevented 23 San Jose points, came within eight points of the eventual winners in the final quarter before finally losing by 13.
The win gives San Jose a 7-2 record and a season sweep over the Lariats, who they beat the first meeting 106-77 in the only triple-digit total game this season. It also makes Los Amigos 7-0 against division foes, one win away from matching Philadelphia's perfect division record in the East (8-0).
PLAYER OF GAME
It's been a magical season for San Jose point guard YOURMAJESTY LUMPKINS, who in this game became the league's first player to earn four POG honors this season. The silky smooth Lumpkins scored a game-high 22 in this game, despite having 10 of his points prevented by the defense of Oklahoma City's Theon Greyjoy. The 6-2 sixth-year man was 8 for 14 from the floor, going 3 for 6 from deep and 3 for 5 from the free throw line. He also pulled down 3 boards, dished out 2 assists and added 1 steal. He entered this game slightly ahead of three players for All-MBA honors (Colquitt Croix of Philly, Dayshotta Leo also of the Amigos and the charging Naf Naf of Charleston). This game will do him more good than harm. Rookie guard Dr. Marcus Brody of Los Angeles seems secure in the top guard spot for All-MBA.
Other 20-plus GVP performers
San Jose's steady two guard Dayshotta Leo scored 17 points and led everyone in the game with 7 rebounds, while getting 1 assist and 1 blocked shot.
San Jose small forward Mike Hunt stayed right with All-MBA candidate Bang-Bang Reiner all game long. The 6-5 Hunt scored 16 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, led his team in assists with 5, and tied for game-high in steals with 1.
Oklahoma City two guard Brownie McShytles led his team in scoring with 19 points, even out-scoring the man his card most emulates, Dayshotta Leo. The third-year man ("Little Leo" some call him) added 5 boards.
Power forward Goodbar "Muddy" Masterson of Oklahoma City continued his season-long solid play with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and a game-high 2 blocked shots.
Star forward Bang-Bang Reiner of Oklahoma City scored 13 points, tied for team-high in rebounds with 6 and dished out 2 assists. Entering the game as the league's top scorer, Reiner (now at 19.4 ppg) is now slightly behind Big Bill Cull of Chicago (20 per game).
POINTS PREVENTED BY QUARTER
Oklahoma City 2 - 9 - 10 - 2 Total=23
San Jose 2 - 0 - 4 - 4 Total=10
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS POINTS PREVENTED
1. Theon Greyjoy, Oklahoma City 10 (off the bench)
2. Willie Carry McCoffee, Oklahoma City 4
2. Goodbar "Muddy" Masterson, Oklahoma City 4
WEST STANDINGS (no changes since last bracket)
1st -- San Jose 7-2 (clinched first in West)
2nd -- Oklahoma City 5-4
3rd -- Sacramento 4-5
4th -- Los Angeles 3-6
Last -- Seattle 2-7
NEXT UP: Milwaukee (0-8) at Charleston (3-5) in the second-to-last game of Naf Naf's illustrious career. First of two meetings between these teams to end season. Greyhounds could become second team ever to go the distance without a victory.
AND HERE IS THE BIG HOLD ON
It seems that yours truly prematurely pronounced the patient, the Sacramento team, dead Dogs.
Upon further review of the standings, we have found the slightest pulse that allows them the faintest of hope for a playoff spot.
Sacramento is 4-5 with 3 division wins.
The team they are chasing, Oklahoma City, is 5-4 with 4 division wins.
Should Sacramento somehow beat first-place San Jose in the final game of their season, they would be 5-5 with 4 division wins.
And should Oklahoma City lose its final game against Philadelphia, they would also be 5-5 with 4 division wins.
They would be tied in record and in the first tie-breaker (division wins).
That would take us to the second tie-breaker, head-to-head games. And since the teams split their two games this season, they would still be tied.
That would bring us to the third tie-breaker, point differential.
As of now, Oklahoma City has a point differential of negative 0.2
As of now, Sacramento has a point differential of negative 1.8
This means that the River Dogs would not only have to beat San Jose while Oklahoma City loses to Philadelphia, but that Sacramento would have to make up its point differential beyond that of Oklahoma City in the process. This is not altogether impossible, since Philadelphia could very well murder Oklahoma City.
Well, anyway, there you have it.
In a nutshell, Sacramento has to beat San Jose on the last game of the season in order to have a chance at making the playoffs. This should satiate those MBA fans who may have been less than satisfied in having Sacramento bow out of the picture one game earlier than is their usual pattern.
We apologize for the error, but hope that being able to vilify the R-Dogs one more time will more than make up for the mistake.
By the way, San Jose just barely beat Sacramento in their prior meeting, 63-62.
