Featured Game No. 4, Season 44...Los Angeles at Philadelphia

L.A. STARTS STRONG, UPENDS THE BIG ONE 77-60
PHILADELPHIA -- A 15-4 opening game run by the visiting Big One set the stage for Season 44's biggest upset thus far, as Los Angeles shocked the home team Phobia 77-60 to pull Philly from the ranks of the unbeaten.

The win was the first cross-over victory for the West this season and makes Los Angeles 3-1 on the year. Philadelphia drops to 3-1 and into second place in the East behind Charleston, the only unbeaten team in the MBA at 4-0.

Los Angeles hit its first eight shots to open the game, going 9 for 11 from the floor in the opening quarter. With Philly constantly fouling, 9 of the 28 L.A. points came from the foul line. Los Angeles, the best rebounding team in the league, led 8-2 in that category after one.

After the first quarter, The Big One led by as many as 25 points in the second quarter before Philly began settling down. Truth be told, Philadelphia played L.A. to a virtual tie in the last three quarters. But the first quarter did them in, ending their 3-game win streak.

PLAYER OF GAME
He came into this game 0 for 11 from 3-point range, but Los Angeles' veteran forward BABA BRINKMAN popped in three long ones in five attempts in this upset on the way to earning his first POG this season. The seventh-year forward was 8 for 10 from the floor, his only misses being treys, on the way to a game-high 21 points. The 6-6 Brinkman also hit the boards hard, snaring a game-high 7 rebounds in the huge victory. He was 2 of 3 from the foul stripe.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- Los Angeles point guard Dr. Marcus Brody registered a 19-point outing against his fellow All-MBA opponent of last season, Colquitt Croix. Three of those were 3-pointers. Brody, in his second season, also led his team in assists with 4, registered his team's only steal and pulled down 1 rebound.

-- The ageless one, 16-season veteran guard Steve Carter, scored 14 points while pulling down 6 boards to help The Big One dominate the glass.

-- Third-year L.A. center Chutcher Mouthchair scored 11 points, grabbed 5 boards, had 1 assist and swatted away a game-high 3 blocked shots in the win.

-- Only small forward Wawa Wewa reached the 20 GVP mark for the losing Phobia. Wewa scored 12 points, tied for team-high in rebounds with 6 and distributed 3 assists.

WEST STANDINGS(no changes in positions since last bracket)
1st -- Sacramento 3-1 (division wins tie-breaker)
2nd -- Los Angeles 3-1
3rd -- San Jose 2-2
4th -- Seattle 1-3
Last -- Oklahoma City 0-4

EAST STANDINGS
1st -- Charleston 4-0 (previously 2nd)
2nd -- Philadelphia 3-1 (previously 1st)(division wins tie-breaker)
3rd -- Dallas 3-1
4th -- Milwaukee 1-3
Last -- Chicago 0-4

Upcoming bracket, No. 5, prior to All Star Game break
-- Seattle at Sacramento...with the River Dogs looking to hold first place headed into the halfway mark of the season

-- San Jose at Los Angeles in a giant showdown game in the West between top playoff contenders. A win by the Amigos switches positions with L.A.

-- FEATURED GAME: Charleston at Philadelphia...the upset by Los Angeles did away with a battle of undefeated clubs, but a win by the Phobia puts them right back into first place in the East and could drop Charleston from first to third.

-- Dallas at Milwaukee in the second straight game between these two. Dallas rang up 109 points in the previous game and looks to put itself in playoff position heading into the break.

-- Oklahoma City at Chicago in the last cross-over of the first half. The All Star Game break is preceded by a match between the league's two win-less teams. There are no ties and Chicago is favored.