Sacramento 87, Dallas 78
RIVER DOGS OUTLAST DEMONS IN PLAYOFF OPENER
SACRAMENTO -- The Sacramento River Dogs unleashed their league-leading defense early, then hung on to win the Semifinals playoff opener 87-78 against a formidable Dallas team.
It was the first playoff victory for Sacramento since Season 21.
The best-of-three series now moves to Dallas, where the Demons hope that their second-half play in the opener can be sustained for the entire elimination game.
Difference-making rookie point guard Great Gruncle Terry of Sacramento led the way in this win from the very beginning, both offensively and defensively. The 6-5 rookie had 20 points by halftime and was leading a defensive charge that held Dallas, the top scoring team in the MBA, to a total of 30 points at break. Part of that story was the inactive offense by the MBA's MVP Chip "the Crip" Battoe, who was held to just three shots and zero points in the first two quarters.
But Dallas came back strong in the second half, ringing up 26 points in the third and closing the gap, which had been 13 most of the game, to 5 points with 32 time units in the contest at crunch time.
Pap Smearz of Sacramento immediately hit a trey to get the margin back up to 8, but on the next time unit, Louie Subgum of Dallas also delivered a big-time trey to keep Dallas in the running.
A steal by Potus Obama followed by his medium jump shot dagger finally put things out of reach late, and Sacramento pocketed the "w".
PLAYER OF GAME
Although his regular season numbers did not match those of a few of his rookie contemporaries, Sacramento point guard GREAT GRUNCLE TERRY was the perfect fit for the River Dogs coming into this season. He ran the offense like a champ all season long and played superior defense as well. In this game, his first in the playoffs, the 6-5 Terry exploded for a game-high 29 points while still delivering a game-high 5 assists. Terry, who led his team in blocks this season, did so again in this game with 2 while pulling down 1 rebound. He destroyed Louie Subgum. As a scorer, Terry was 9 for 14 from the floor, including 4 for 6 from beyond the arc. (He had 3 treys all regular season). At the foul stripe he sank 7 of 9. Not a bad playoff debut.
Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- Sacramento shooting guard Potus Obama played an excellent, under-control game, scoring 16 points, tying for game-high in rebounds with 5, assisting 3 times and getting his team's only steal. He played Dallas' high-scoring guard Bingo Bango to a virtual standstill.
-- Sacramento small forward Doo-rag Dripp had his shot blocked 5 times by Chip Battoe, but still managed to score 19 points with a relentless attack while holding Battoe to 10 in the win. He added 2 rebounds.
-- Dallas shooting guard Bingo Bango led the Demons in scoring with 18 points while tying for game-high in rebounds with 5 and adding 2 assists.
-- In his first trip back to Sacramento since being traded, the second-year behemoth center of Dallas, 7-2 Gotoo Grot seriously out-played the league's All-MBA center Tree Fiddy. Grot scored 14 points, tied for top rebounding honors in the game with 5, had 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot.
NEXT UP: It's win at home or stay home for the San Jose Fighting Amigos, who gave no indication in the opener that they could compete with the defending champion Philadelphia Phobia.
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