Season 45 Featured Game No. 1...Sacramento at Dallas

Dallas 89, Sacramento 69
Dallas waltzes home with fourth-quarter beat-down
DALLAS -- In a rematch of last season's playoff semifinals, the Dallas Demons demonstrated that they are a force to be reckoned with in the Season 45 championship race, besting the defending champion Sacramento River Dogs 89-69 in a highly anticipated cross-over of two powers.

The home team, eliminated 2 games to 1 in the playoff semifinals by Sacramento last season, led from start to finish in this game, getting off to a 9-2 early advantage that they never yielded. Dallas led after every quarter, and by 7 points headed into the fourth. They then exploded for a 29-point quarter in the decisive last frame to win going away.

Dallas exhibited balanced scoring and tough on-the-ball defense, demonstrating why they were the pre-season pick to win the West for the first time in seven seasons and a good bet to go all the way. Last season's No. 1 scoring team seems to have retained its firepower, getting 89 points despite a low-scoring game from usually potent Bingo Bango.

The Demons got especially strong play from their massive front court, including 6-10 newcomer at power forward, Egg Yolk Carpaccio and the much improved monster, 7-2 center Gotoo Grot, to go along with two-time MVP, 6-8 Chip "the Crip" Battoe. They also got a big lift off the bench by guard Bootlace Barnaby, the longest tenured Demon, who contributed 13 points.

The game featured a second-quarter fight between Barnaby and Sacramento substitute forward James Payne, the latter issuing a "cherry challenge" which subsequently resulted in his removal from the contest.

PLAYERS OF GAME (Recalculated to be a tie)
7-2 behemoth Dallas center GOTOO GROT, now in his third season, thoroughly out-classed Tree Fiddy, the defending All-MBA center and the man he used to back up in Sacramento. Grot scored 19 points on 9 of 13 shooting, including 2 slam dunks and a length-of-the-court 3-point desperation heave that ended the game. The Dallas big man also pulled down a game-high 7 rebounds, dished out 2 assists and blocked 1 shot.

The other POG in this contest, also from Dallas, was defending two-time MVP forward CHIP "THE CRIP" BATTOE, who started his defense as the league's top scorer with a game-high 22 points. The third-year superstar was 10 for 13 from the floor, hitting his lone 3-point attempt and going 1 for 2 at the foul line. He added 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 assist and a game-high 3 blocked shots. Doo-rag Dripp, his counterpart, was left in the dust with just 8 points.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- Dallas' new power forward, Egg Yolk Carpaccio, showed why he could be a difference maker coming from San Jose. Carpaccio scored 16 points, had 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 blocked shot in the big win.

-- Second-year Sacramento point guard "Great" Gruncle Terry scored a team-high 17 points, tied for game-high in assists with 4, grabbed 1 rebound and tied for team-high with 2 blocked shots in the loss.

-- Fourth-year Sacramento shooting guard Potus Obama had a solid game with 15 points, 3 rebounds, a game-high 2 steals, a team-high 2 blocks and tied for game-high in assists with 4.

STANDINGS AFTER FIRST BRACKET (and first game of bracket No. 2)

WEST
1st -- Oklahoma City 1-0 (points differential tie-breaker)
2nd -- Los Angeles 1-0
3rd -- San Jose 1-1
4th -- Seattle 0-1 (points differential tie-breaker)
Last - Sacramento 0-1

EAST
1st -- Charleston 1-0 (points differential tie-breaker)
2nd -- Milwaukee 1-0 (division wins tie-breaker
3rd -- Dallas 1-0
4th -- Philadelphia 0-1
Last - Kansas City 0-2

UPCOMING GAMES ... BRACKET NO. 2
-- FEATURED GAME Milwaukee at Dallas in an early season clash of undefeated clubs. Can the young Greyhounds make a statement with a giant road win?
-- Philadelphia visits Charleston in the second of two back-to-back games to open the season. The Mountaineers won the opener in overtime and can put Phlly in an early hole with another victory.
-- Oklahoma City at Seattle...the Lariats surprised everyone with a 92-point outburst in their opening win and are looking to sneak into a 2-0 start.
-- Los Angeles at Sacramento...the schedule-makers have not been kind to the defending champions as the River Dogs open up at home against their toughest foe in the West after getting tagged in their season debut by East Division power Dallas.