MILWAUKEE 61, SEATTLE 59
GREYHOUNDS SQUEEZE BY STAMPEDE
MILWAUKEE -- A game-tying short jumper by Seattle rookie Charles Broccoli rattled in, then out at the buzzer and the Milwaukee Greyhounds escaped with a playoff-opening 61-59 victory in this best of three semifinals.
The win puts Milwaukee a victory away from advancing to their first Finals since Season 32, some 16 campaigns ago.
This was the first Seattle playoff appearance in six seasons.
The path was made a bit easier for the Greyhounds in the fourth quarter, when Seattle forward Reed Lemur was injured with 66 time units remaining in the game. The Stampede led 43-40 at the time. It was later diagnosed that Lemur, who was the Seattle team MVP this season, will be lost for the remainder of the playoffs. (He rolled a 12...necessitating another roll to see if he was done for his career...another 12 was needed for that outcome, but he rolled a 10.)
What turned out to be the winning bucket, was scored by back-up Milwaukee center Taco Toosdae, whose down-low shot over Willie Carry McCoffee with 9 left gave his team a 4-point lead.
This was the second close loss this season suffered by Seattle at the hands of Milwaukee. They lost to them 64-63 in a cross-over game during the regular season when the Greyhounds were without the services of an injured Sabado Gigante.
Now Tyler will have to go to the cut pile to replace Lemur with another forward on the roster. Oy Yoy-Yoy will likely replace him in the starting lineup. Among the cut pile options are Sheik Yerbouti, Shag Bark, Nombre Oculto, Bemsha Swing, Jospah Gecan and Tootie Heathcliffe.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Fifth-year guard POTATOES O'GRATIN muscled his way to Player of the Game honors for losing Seattle. The 6-4 O'Gratin scored 13 points, grabbed a game-high 7 rebounds and blocked a game-high 4 shots. His fourth block came in the closing time units of the game against league MVP Lannigan Lord Hobo, negating a put-back bucket and giving the Stampede one last chance to tie or win the game. O'Gratin was 6 for 11 from the floor and 1 for 2 from the foul line. The MBA's top 3-point shooter did not attempt a shot beyond the arc. As a matter of fact, he hasn't taken a trey in his last four games. He also had 1 assist.
OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMERS
-- Milwaukee center Sabado Gigante fouled out with the game tied 55-55 and 27 time units remaining. Before doing so, the 6-9 veteran scored 13 points, grabbed 3 boards, dished 2 assists, had 1 steal and blocked 1 shot.
-- Third-year forward Wardy Joubert III of Milwaukee, the MBA's Most Improved Player winner, led all scorers with 17 points, topped his team in rebounds with 6 and added 1 assist as he dominated Seattle's small forwards.
-- Seattle's 6-10 rookie forward Charles Broccoli had a fine playoff debut, despite missing the short jumper that would have tied the game at the horn. Broccoli, who finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting, scored a team-high 15 points, including the bucket that brought his team within two points with 6 ticks left. He also snagged 5 rebounds and registered the team's lone steal. (His miss on the last shot came on the only number he could roll that was not a bucket...a 5).
NEXT UP: Playoff favorite Sacramento will fight for its life in an elimination game on the road against a red-hot Oklahoma City team.
Playoff notes: Both opening round games were defensive-minded barn-burners won by teams that failed to shoot as high as 50 percent.
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