Season 48 Featured Game No. 5...Seattle at San Jose

 SEATTLE 68, SAN JOSE 64

STAMPEDE 'D' COMPLETES BIG SWEEP

SAN JOSE -- Seattle's rugged defense and a second consecutive madman game from Stampede forward Reed Lemur combined for a 68-64 road win to send the Pacific Northwest club into the halftime break with a 3-game winning streak and a 4-1 record.

Most importantly, Seattle, picked to finish third in the West, swept the season series from San Jose, which was unanimously picked to win the division. The Fighting Amigos take their break with a 2-3 mark and a 3-game losing streak.

This was a close one all the way through, and a quick analysis would say that the winnners cemented their triumph at the free throw line, where they outscored San Jose 16-5.

Sixth-man AnDamian Wayne was huge off the bench for Seattle with 14 points, especially with league-leading scorer Potatoes O'Gratin fouling out early in the fourth.

The grind-it-out game is evident in the fact that neither team shot 50 percent.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Looking at the back of his card you would never guess that Seattle forward REED LEMUR had it in him to deliver two death-blow games against a tough division foe. But in a pair of contests against San Jose, the 6-7 Lemur has been a killer and the main reason for victories in both contests. In this game, Lemur tied for game-high in scoring with 21 points, going 8 for 14 from the floor and exploding for 4 powerful slam dunk moves. He was also 5 for 6 from the foul line. He dominated Vito Andolini of San Jose again, this time causing him to foul out with just 5 points. The 5-season veteran asserted himself on the boards as well, grabbing 9 rebounds. He topped things off with 1 assist and 1 blocked shot. San Jose fans officially hate this guy.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

-- Before fouling out with 33 time units remaining in the game (and his team down 63-55), San Jose shooting guard Mister Methane kept his team in contention, tying for game-high in scoring with 21 points, with a trio of treys among them. The fourth-year man added 3 rebounds and a steal.

NEXT UP: Los Angeles (2-2) can insert itself into the thick of the West Division race with an upset road win against first-place Sacramento (3-1). If Dr. Marcus Brody gets hot for The Big One, it can happen; but he'll be going against one of the best defenders in the league in Great Gruncle Terry of the R-Dogs.