Season 54 Featured Game No. 6...Dallas at Charleston

 Dallas 92, Charleston 88 (OVERTIME)

WHIZ KIDS HANG ON IN OT

CHARLESTON -- The Dallas Demons (now 6-0) were pushed to the limit for the third time this season, but once again emerged from an overtime brawl victorious; this time 92-88 against Charleston.

This was a donnybrook from start to finish, with the surprising home team Mountaineers demonstrating that their record (now 4-2) is no fluke. 

The fourth quarter was classic, featuring 15 times that the lead either changed hands or was tied. The game was sent into overtime when Dallas guard Juzan Djinn got himself open in the short zone and hit a game-tying shot at the buzzer.

It was Djinn's clutch 3-point bomb with 4 time units remaining that put the game out of reach for Charleston.

Other close calls for Dallas this season were a 3-point overtime win against Philly and a 4-point victory against Oklahoma City.  

PLAYER OF THE GAME

37 GVP...He's the biggest reason for Charleston's surprise party this season, and the Mountaineers needed him to come up huge (which he did) in order to be competitive against powerful Dallas. The 5-11 point guard SEEYALATER SCRONTO scored a game-high 29 points on 11 of 19 shooting, connecting on 3 of 6 from downtown in a game in which he out-classed highly regarded rookie Vicious Hick. Scronto was also 4 of 5 from the foul line, stole a game-high 3, assisted 3 times and pulled down 1 rebound. The third-year man even blocked 1 shot.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

36 GVP...Dallas shooting guard Juzan Djinn...24 points...7 assists...4 rebounds...1 blocked shot.

28 GVP...Dallas power forward Satan Israel...25 points...3 rebounds.

28 GVP...Charleston center Johnny Bananas...18 points...5 blocked shots...4 rebounds...1 assist

28 GVP...Charleston small forward Piping Plover...20 points...4 rebounds...2 blockes shots...2 assists

24 GVP...Dallas small forward Pete "the Steakman" Marzano...10 points...7 rebounds...4 blocked shots...2 steals...1 assist.

24 GVP...Charleston shooting guard Splash Gordon...14 points...5 rebounds...4 assists...1 steal.

MBA Standings … Season 54

EAST DIVISION

DALLAS………………….6-0

OKLAHOMA CITY…..4-2

CHARLESTON………. 4-2

PHILADELPHIA………2-4

MILWAUKEE……….. 0-6

 

WEST DIVISION

SAN JOSE…………3-2

LOS ANGELES….. 3-2

SACRAMENTO… 3-2

SEATTLE…………..2-3

GILLETTE…………. 1-5

NEXT UP: Los Angeles and prize rookie Pinky Toe at Seattle battle for one of the two playoff positions in the hotly contested West.

54th MBA All Star Game

 EAST 87, WEST 71

EAST WINS IN A WALK

MILWAUKEE -- For the second season in a row, the newest member of the Hall of Fame was the MVP of the All Star Game, as Dallas star Juzan Djinn duplicated last season's performance by Crentis Dentist.

The East increased its series lead to 34-20 in All Star competition.

The big matchup of the game was rookie sensation Pinky Toe of Los Angeles going head-to-head with Djinn, the pride of Dallas. They went into the break 1-2 in both scoring and MVP points, with Toe holding the edge in both categories. But Djinn gave the rookie a taste of what it's like coming up against a Hall of Fame defender as the 27 point per game leading scorer was held to just 9. Meanwhile, it was Djinn who tallied 27 in the dominant performance. 

The one casualty of the game was an injury to Vinny Zazeech of San Jose, who will miss one game. The Amigos picked up Boney Skelletrino to replace Zazeech on the roster. 

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

33 GVP...The league's newest Hall of Fame player, JUZAN DJINN of two-time defending champion Dallas, grabbed MVP honors with a team-high 27-point performance in which he dominated his main opponent at the moment for league MVP, Pinky Toe of Los Angeles. Djinn scored 13 of his 27 points in the first quarter. For the game he was 11 for 19 (2 for 7 from deep) and 3 for 3 from the foul line. He grabbed 2 rebounds, handed out 4 assists and tied for game-high in blocked shots with 2. He is just the third Dallas player to ever win the All Star Game MVP and the first since Chip Battoe turned the trick in Season 47. The first from Dallas was Max Payne in Season 30. 

Other 20-plus GVP performers

31 GVP...Sacramento cut pile refugee Anthony "Fish Face" Finseca continues to defy the naysayers, scoring a game-high 28 points with 3 rebounds.

28 GVP...Charleston mainstay guard Splash Gordon...15 points...game-high 6 assists...game-high 3 steals...3 rebounds...1 blocked shot.

24 GVP...Philadelphia forward Turk Attaturk...23 points...1 blocked shot.

NEXT UP: The second half of the season begins with a cross-over pitting Oklahoma City at Gillette. The home team Humps will be getting back star center Blob Dylan and are desperate to get a win to stop their 3-game losing streak that has them mired in last in the West. They are not likely to get it, however, with the Lariats, third-place in the East, also needing a victory to keep pace with Dallas and Charleston'

The Featured Game for this bracket is, in fact, Dallas at Charleston...the third game in the bracket.  

Juzan Djinn to Hall of Fame

Star Dallas guard Juzan Djinn, by virtue of making his fourth All-Star Game, thus earning his 10th award, has become the 59th member of the MBA Hall of Fame. 

Currently in his fifth season, he is the first member of the rich Season 50 rookie guard crop to earn Hall of Fame distinction, having earned four All Star Game honors, 2 All-MBA stars, championship rings in Season 52 and Season 53 and Playoff MVP honors in both Season 52 and Season 53. 

He is the eigth Dallas player to earn HOF status, the others being Chip Battoe, Mamadou Zongo, Rip Slamjam, Tom "the Bomb" Kondla, Joey Two-Tones, Shooter Flatch and Gulemon Mon-Mon. He is the third Dallas guard to make the Hall, following Zongo and Two-Tones. 

Djinn will be one of three active Hall of Fame players, the others being center J.J. Gargantuan of Milwaukee and forward Crentis Dentist of Oklahoma City. 

 

Season 54 All Star Game Rosters

ALL STAR TIDBITS

-- This marks the third season in a row that Milwaukee did not have an All Star representative...and it's on their home court this time.

-- Two rookies made All Star Game...both in the West...One who didn't was highly publicized Dallas rookie Vicious Hick, who was competing in the toughest category to make the team (East guards). 

-- Players who did not make it even though 20 or more GVP...Hick (20.8), Seeyalater Scronto of Charleston (20.0) and Billie Bauer of Gillette (20.0).

-- Two retirees playing in their last All Star Game...Sky Masterson and Charles Broccoli, both of San Jose

-- Seven first time All Stars...most surprising Fish Face Finseca, a cut pile guy from Sacramento; Louie Lunkerson, a 17.4 GVP center from Los Angeles; Satan Israel, Dallas forward, not because he's not good, but because it took him until his fourth season to make the All Star Game.

-- Conspicuous by their absence:

Vicious Hick of Dallas

Kopi Luwak of Dallas 

Pete Marzano of Dallas

J.J. Gargantuan of Milwaukee

Sheetrock Hudson of Gillette

Blob Dylan of Gillette (injured...accounting for how Lunkerson made the team)

 

Featured Game No. 5...Sacramento at Dallas...Plus power rankings...first half team stats

DALLAS 102, SACRAMENTO 62 (Slaughter Rule Enforced)

DEMONS DESTROY DOGS

DALLAS -- The indomitable Demons from Dallas laid waste to what had been the first-place Sacramento River Dogs, crushing their canine opponents 102-62 in this cross-over contest to go into the All Star Game break with a 5-0 record.

The opening-quarter surge of 31-11 left no doubt as to the outcome, as the two-time defending champion Whiz Kids ran roughshod over the visiting R-Dogs, much to the delight of the home team fans.

Six Dallas players, scored in double figures, rainging from 12 to 17 points in a balanced attack that just kept coming. The win marked the second time this season that Dallas, now averaging 95.4 points per game, had hit the century mark in scoring. 

The loss dropped Sacramento from first place in the West all the way to third.

For the game, Dallas prevented 15 Sacramento points with relentless defense, while Sacramento prevented 1 point. 

The Demons now lead the MBA in both offense and defense and are crushing their opponents by an average of 26 points per game. 

The East now leads the West 3-2 in cross-over games this season.

Tops in Points prevented

1. Juzan Djinn, Dallas...7

2. Biggus Dickus, Dallas...4

PLAYER OF THE GAME

25 GVP...Last season's regular season MVP PETE "THE STEAKMAN" MARZANO registered his first POG of the campaign, scoring 16 points, grabbing 3 boards and blocking 1 shot. His 3 assists tied for team-high and his two steals were tied for most in the game. The third-year, 6-8 small forward was 7 for 11 from the floor and 2 for 2 from the charity stripe.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

22 GVP...Dallas rookie point guard Vicious Hick...17 points...3 assists...2 rebounds

22 GVP...Dallas shooting guard Juzan Djinn...13 points...5 rebounds...3 blocked shots...1 assist 

22 GVP...Sacramento shooting guard Karma Chameleon...18 points...4 rebounds

21 GVP...Dallas center Biggus Dickus...12 points...5 rebounds...3 blocked shots...1 assist

21 GVP...Dallas power forward Satan Israel...13 points...5 rebounds...2 assists...1 steal 

21 GVP...Sacramento power forward Kevin Duran-Duran...14 points...3 rebounds...3 assists...1 block

No changes from 4th to 5th bracket in the East standings.

Every team in the West, however, changed where they are in the standings, with the exception of last-place Gillette.

-- San Jose moved from second to first

-- Los Angeles jumped two spots from fourth into second with its 6-point win against Gillette

-- Sacramento dropped two places from first to third with its massacre at the hands of Dallas

-- Seattle went from third to fourth

HALFWAY POWER RANKINGS

1. Dallas

2. Oklahoma City

3. Charleston

4. San Jose

5. Los Angeles

6. Sacramento

7. Seattle

8. Philadelphia

9. Gillette

10. Milwaukee

NEXT: Season statistical leaders...the announcement of All Star teams.

 

Featured Game No. 4...Dallas at Oklahoma City...plus Retirements announced

DALLAS 90, OKLAHOMA CITY 86

DEMONS REMAIN ON TOP 

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Whiz Kids from Dallas, trailing by as many as 10 points in the first half, took control of this showdown game to go up by 10 in the third quarter before coasting home to a 90-86 road victory against their main rivals from Oklahoma City (now 2-2).

The final score is not indicative of the Lariats' chance to come up a winner, since the Demons led by 10 points with 24 ticks remaining; an uphill battle that the losing team had little chance of overcoming, despite their final surge.

The game was entertaining throughout and marks the second straight contest that the 4-0 Dallas club has been put to the test, with Philadelphia having previously taken the Demons to overtime before bowing.

But the fact remains that two-time defending champions Dallas and its outstanding balanced attack, combined with timely defense, is still very much the class of the MBA. In this win they shot 62.9 percent as a team while going 7 for 12 from deep and getting valuable bench contributions from forward Al A. Orden and center China P. The two combined to go 7 for 7 from the floor in a game in which two Dallas starters fouled out.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

29 GVP...Rookie point guard sensation VICIOUS HICK of Dallas picked the right game to deliver the first POG of his MBA career. The 6-2 Hick tied for game-high in scoring with 20 points, going 8 for 13 from the floor and tickling the twine on 3 of 5 deep balls while going 1 for 2 from the foul line. He flat-out dominated King Czardines, pulling down 4 rebounds, handing out a team-high 4 assists and registering one steal for good measure. 

Other 20-plus GVP performers

26 GVP...Dallas power forward Satan Israel...16 pts...7 RBs...2 steals...1 assist

26 GVP...Oklahoma City power forward Phillip Mianus...18 pts...5 RBs...2 blocks...1 assist

26 GVP...Oklahoma City shooting guard Handsy Joe Potatoe...20 pts...5 RBs...1 assist

24 GVP...Dallas shooting guard Juzan Djinn...17 pts...3 blocks...3 assists...1 RB

23 GVP...Oklahoma City center Chochky Galumpkus...17 pts...3 assists...2 RBs...1 steal

MBA Standings … Season 54

EAST DIVISION

DALLAS………………….4-0

CHARLESTON………. 2-1

OKLAHOMA CITY…..2-2

PHILADELPHIA………1-2

MILWAUKEE……….. 0-3

 

WEST DIVISION

SACRAMENTO… 2-1

SAN JOSE………….2-2

SEATTLE…………..2-2

LOS ANGELES….. 2-2

GILLETTE…………. 1-3

 

NEXT UP:  Philadelphia at Charleston. This is a bigger game than what one might have thought prior to the start of this season. Philadelphia crushed San Jose and took Dallas to overtime while Charleston hung within four points of Oklahoma City in a loss, then beat the Lariats by three. So what looked like a two-team playoff shoo-in in the East has three clubs vying for the second post-season spot. This game will be a key.

RETIREMENTS FOLLOWING SEASON 54

-- 19 players, including 3 from the cut pile, will hang it up at the conclusion of Season 54

-- 6 of the 16 rostered players who will retire are currently starters

-- The hardest hit team by far was also the league's oldest...San Jose...which will lose three players and two key front line starters in center Sky Masterson and power forward Charles Broccoli.

-- Gillette and Los Angeles will each lose key starting forwards in Sheetrock Hudson and D. Fenestration, respectively. 

-- Philadelphia will be losing both of its centers.

-- Two of the youngest teams, Dallas and Seattle...escaped unscathed

-- Dave lost 10 players overall...with 3 being starters

-- Tyler lost 6 players overall...with 3 being starters