Featured Game No. 9...Los Angeles at Sacramento

SACRAMENTO 61, LOS ANGELES 38 (on Pap Smearz Day)

R-Dogs squash Big One in revenge game

SACRAMENTO -- The Sacramento River Dogs avenged their only loss this season at the hands of the Los Angeles Big One by holding the visitors to the lowest score of any team in the MBA this season. The final score of 61-38 moved the R-Dogs past Los Angeles into first place in the West Division with an 8-1 record (L.A. is now 7-2).

The two teams entered the fray boasting the Nos. 2 and 3 defenses in the MBA and demonstrated as much. Sacramento held Los Angeles to 29.4 percent shooting as a team and allowed the Big One just four points in the fourth quarter. 

The lopsided final score all but assures Sacramento of their third first-place finish in the West in the past four seasons, since the best Los Angeles can hope for is a R-Dogs loss in their last game and a win by L.A. That would even up everything in wins, division wins and head-to-head and make the tie-breaker points differential, where Sacramento now holds a decided edge.

L.A. is now looking at the unenviable task of taking on unbeaten Dallas in the first round of the playoffs.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

One of five MBA centers in close competition for the All-MBA star, Sacramento pivot TREE FIDDY put himself in nice position going into the final bracket of games with his second POG of the campaign. The 9-season veteran dominated late-season cut-pile sensation Twinkles Spatula, holding the youngster who had been averaging 20.5 per contest in his first two games to just 4 points. Meanwhile, the 6-8 Fiddy scored 15 and cleaned the glass for 13 rebounds, the most seen in the MBA since Season 38 when Pippi Pippistrelli became the sixth player to corral 14 boards. The fourteen mark has long been considered the "sound barrier" for rebounding in one game and it is believed that no index card can physically get beyond that mark. (The Slaughter Rule removed Fiddy from the game with 14 time units left, eliminating a chance at the all-time mark. His replacement, Quick Tink, nabbed a rebound that would have been Fiddy's.) For the game, Fiddy was 7 for 15 from the floor, including 1 for 2 from 3-Point range. He also led his team with 2 blocked shots and added 1 assist.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

-- After fouling out against Los Angeles in the 1-point loss earlier in the season, Sacramento's star point guard Great Gruncle Terry stayed for the duration to harass the league's leading scorer, Dr. Marcus Brody, into 35 percent shooting. Meanwhile, Terry scored 12 points, snared 7 rebounds and added to his league-leading assist total with a game-high 4. (He needs 6 assists to tie and 7 to break the record of 63 assists in one season in his final game). Terry also blocked 1 shot.

-- One of two candidates for league MVP, Dr. Marcus Brody of Los Angeles was practically the entire offense for his team in this loss. Despite being guarded by the incessant defense of Great Gruncle Terry, Brody managed to score a game-high 17 points, with 15 coming in the first half. The fifth-year point guard played some good D of his own with a game-high 3 blocked shots, grabbed 3 rebounds and tied for team-high in assists with 2. 

R-DOG FANS BID SMEARZ ADIEU

As the first of the longtime 5-starter lineup of the Sacramento River Dogs to call it quits (following this season), popular forward Pap Smearz was honored at halftime of this, the team's final regular season home game. 

Smearz came to Sacramento in a Season 43 trade from Seattle as one of the final two pieces of the puzzle that turned the team from despair into a championship contender and title team in Season 44. His steady play throughout his career, and especially during his stay in Sacramento, have proven invaluable. In his 7 seasons as a starter, he has averaged over 14 points a game 5 times and 13 one time, all while taking a minimum number of shots. He's led his team in shooting percentage four times, three time at over 70 percent. He's led the league in rebounds and free throwing and is just one award away from the MBA Hall of Fame, despite his low-key approach. He's made five All-Star Games and been on four championship teams for four different franchises (three titles in three seasons for three different teams).

During the halftime ceremony, Pap Smearz was presented with a gold speculum engraved with the names of all the Sacramento players. 

Other presents included an automatic pan stirrer (since Pap has been known to stir up some shit in the lockerrooms) and a set of textured balls for sensory exploration.

Next up: Oklahoma City (1-7) at San Jose (4-4). The Amigos won the last meeting 89-79, with Eddie Creamer as POG>