SAN JOSE 88, PHILADELPHIA 87
AMIGOS SQUEAK BY FOR FINALS BERTH
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Phobia, winners of nine consecutive SemiFinals series, took it down to the final time unit before bowing out of the Season 49 playoffs with an 88-87 loss to visiting San Jose.
The Fighting Amigos, in winning their seventh consecutive game, earned their first Finals appearance since Season 43 and their sixth overall.
Philly came from a 7-point third-quarter deficit to get within a pair with 24 ticks remaining. But San Jose, the top scoring team in the league, would not relent offensively, upping the lead to 6 on a short jumper by Eddie "The Milkman" Creamer to give them a 6-point advantage with 10 ticks left.
The Phobia would not give up, cutting the lead to 4 with 3 left, then getting the ball back on a 3-point miss by Cremeofsum Yunguy for San Jose. On the last time unit, 12-year veteran Baskets Weaver of Philadelphia (who turned in a perfect 6 for 6 day) potted his fourth trey of the game in as many tries. Unfortunately for Phobia fans, he needed San Jose's Jesse Shershot to foul him in order to get the four points needed to tie the game. But the wily league MVP stepped far away as his team rejoiced in the City of Brotherly Love.
This game featured smoking offenses, with San Jose shooting 66 percent and Philadelphia 68.5 percent. The Fighting Amigos hit on 7 3-pointers and the Phobia improved their zero 3's performance of Game 1 to 9 of 14 to allow them to keep pace with San Jose.
Six steals by San Jose, the top steals team in the MBA and an 11 for 12 free-throw performance (they needed every one) contributed mightily to the win.
Philadelphia played tough defense, erasing 14 would-be points by San Jose.
This turned out to be the final game in the careers of Philadelphia center Dupa Yashu and substitute guard Baskets Weaver.
Points prevented by quarters
San Jose...... 2...2...2...0 Total=6
Philadelphia 2...6...2...4 Total=14
Tops in points prevented
1. Wawa Wewa, Philadelphia...6
2. Dupa Yashu, Philadelphia...5
3. Dick Papers, Philadelphia....3
Thirteen-season veteran point guard CREMEOFSUM YUNGUY delivered his best game of the season right on time in this Finals clincher, as the 5-11 dynamo posted game-high numbers in both scoring (27 points) and rebounds (5) while tying for game-high in steals with 2 and handing out 2 assists. Picking up the slack for running mate Jesse Shershot, who had an off day offensively, Yunguy was 11 for 19 from the floor, ripping the cords from deep on 3 of 6 attempts and going 2 for 2 from the foul line, dominating Dick Papers of Philly. Not bad for a guy who spent the first five seasons of his career in the cut pile.
Other 20-plus GVP performers-- The steady workhorse of San Jose, Eddie "the Milkman" Creamer, stepped into the spotlight for the Fighting Amigos in this big contest, scoring 19 poionts, pulling down 4 boards and handing out 3 assists. His big bucket at the 11 time-unit mark in the game was the dagger San Jose needed to secure the win.
-- Rookie Philadelphia forwarard D. Fenestration was superb in defeat, scoring 16 points and dishing out a game-high 6 helpers while grabbing 3 rebounds.
-- Nine-year Philly star Wawa Wewa showed why the Phobia have such a devestating forward combo, leading his team in scoring for the second playoff game with 17, tying for top rebounder on the team with 4, handing out 3 assists and preventing the most points by any player in the game (6). He dominated Lupalin Greenbeard.
NEXT UP: The deciding Game 3 of the other SemiFinals to see who opposes San Jose for the MBA championship. It's Seattle at Charleston, where the Mountaineers have not lost all season. Hang on to your butt cheeks, people.
No comments:
Post a Comment