Season 52 Finals...Game 4...Dallas at Milwaukee

Milwaukee 76, Dallas 74

GREYHOUNDS DEFY ODDS

MILWAUKEE -- After suffering the worst defeat in MBA playoff history, the confounding Milwaukee Greyhounds put what looked like an inevitable Dallas championship on hold by defending their home court for the second time in these Finals to scrape out a 76-74 win.

The unexpected triumph evens the series at two games each and send it to the decisive Game 5 in Dallas, the first for the league since Season 48 when Sacramento bested this same Milwaukee franchise to win it all.

One need only look at the box score and see that Dallas Rookie of the Year Kopi Luwak was a scoreless 0 for 8 to understand the missing ingredient in the Demons' attack. 

It should also be noted that this was the first game of the Finals that Milwaukee beat their opponents on the boards.

Even the injury (rest of game) to Milwaukee power forward Ape Con Myth in the third period, when he was (and remained) his team's high scorer, did not derail Milwaukee as they held off Dallas down the stretch.

The home team Greyhounds led by as many as 8 points in the fourth quarter with 53 ticks left as Dallas slowly worked its way back into the game.

Here are the closing time units:

-- Dallas forward Pete Marzano rebounds a Milwaukee miss and then scores himself on a short jumper to cut the lead to 2 points...72-70...8 ticks left

-- Flip Phelps of Milwaukee passes down low to center Lothario Fartlek who scores over the defense of Biggus Dickus...Greyhounds lead 74-70...6 ticks left

-- Juzan Djinn of Dallas hoists a trey and misses, but teammate Marzano tips it in...Greyhounds lead cut to 74-72...4 ticks left.

-- Milwaukee goes right back to Fartlek down low, who slams it home over the forced miss of Dickus, sealing the deal...76-72 Milwaukee...3 ticks left.

-- Dallas scores at the horn on a pass from Djinn to Dickus who hits a short jumper at the buzzer....final is 76-74 Milwaukee.

POINTS PREVENTED BY QUARTERS

Dallas...0...4...2...4  Total=10

Milw.....2...4...8...2  Total=16 (key defensive quarter the third where Greyhounds upped lead to 6)

TOPS IN POINTS PREVENTED

1. Lothario Fartlek, Milwaukee...12 (by far the defensive star of the game)

2. Juzan Djinn, Dallas...4

2. Pete Marzano, Dallas...4

PLAYER OF THE GAME

32 GVP...Third-year star Dallas guard JUZAN DJINN captured his playoff-best third POG with a triple-double that included 19 points, tying for game-high in assists with 5 and tying for game-high in blocked shots with 5. Djinn, who was 9 for 13 from the floor and 1 for 2 from deep, added 2 assists and a steal while preventing 4 points defensively.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

31 GVP...Brilliant in defeat, rookie forward Pete "the Steakman" Marzano of Dallas scored a game-high 21 points, swiped a game-high 3 steals, prevented 4 opposition points, blocked 4 shots, snagged 2 rebounds and added 1 assist.

30 GVP...Up against the shot-blocking efficiency of Lothario Fartlek, Biggus Dickus still managed to deliver 19 points from his center position for Dallas while hauling down a game-high 6 rebounds and distributing 4 assists. He added 1 blocked shot. 

21 GVP...Savvy veteran guard Flip Phelps of Milwaukee moved to the two spot, but still tied for game-high in assists with 5 while scoring 13 points and pulling down 3 rebounds.

20 GVP...The league's three-time shot-blocking champion Lothario Fartlek was Mr. Rim Protector in this game, personally preventing 12 Dallas points, thanks in part to tying for game-high with 5 blocked shots. Fartlek also contributed the last 2 buckets down the home stretch for the victorious Greyhounds, the last being a jam over the 7-footer Dickus. He added 2 rebounds and 1 assist.