Season 54 Featured Game No. 10...Oklahoma City at Dallas

 

DALLAS 67, OKLAHOMA CITY 63

WHIZ KIDS PULL OFF PERFECTO 

DALLAS -- The Dallas Demons overcame a 9-point fourth quarter deficit with an offensive tsunami to best their visiting rivals from Oklahoma City 67-63, becoming the fifth team in MBA history to go 10-0 in the regular season.

The four-point win was their second of the season by that margin against the Lariats, but the victories were polar opposite in styles. The previous game was a 90-86 shootout win for the Demons, while this triumph was a defensive in-the-mud rock fight in which the top two Ds in the league flexed their muscles.

Oklahoma City finished the regular campaign 7-3 in second place behind Dallas in the East for the second season in a row.

The win sets up this Dallas juggernaut, which still boasts one of the youngest starting lineups in the league, for a third consecutive championship and a shot at being just the second team to run the table. The only other team to do so was the Chip Battoe-led Demons of Season 47.

Dallas caught a big break early in this game when Oklahoma City point guard King Czardines, the top assist man in the league, as well as the top 3-point shooter, went down with a first-quarter injury that kept him out of the game until the final quarter.

Still, the Lariats, led by Czardine's replacement Ol' Roy, went into the fourth quarter with a 46-39 lead after holding Dallas to just 8 points in the third. 

Then in the fourth, the impressive Dallas lineup coalesced, and getting contributions from everyone, ran roughshod for 28 points and the triumph.

"Those bastards wear you down," was all coach Grady Booch would offer following the disappointing loss.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

24 GVP...Third-year Dallas small forward, 6-8 PETE "THE STEAKMAN" MARZANO, last season's league MVP, battled long and hard with Hall of Fame Lariats forward Crentis Dentist, scratching out a game-high 16 points on 8 of 13 shooting (0 for 2 from deep). The defensive specialist tied for game-high in blocked shots with 3 and also hauled down 6 rebounds in the big win. This POG performance ties Marzano for the most POGs this season with Dentist, Karma Chameleon of Sacramento, Johnny Bananas of Charleston and Marzano's teammate, Hall of Fame guard Juzan Djinn.

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES

23 GVP...Dallas center Biggus Dickus...12 points...7 rebounds...4 assists.

20 GVP...Oklahoma City Hall of Fame forward Crentis Dentist...15 points...3 rebounds...1 steal...1 assist. 

MBA FINAL Standings … Season 54

EAST DIVISION

DALLAS………………….10-0 (clinched playoffs and first place and home court)

OKLAHOMA CITY…..7-3 (clinched playoffs)

CHARLESTON………. 6-4 (eliminated)

PHILADELPHIA………2-8 (eliminated)

MILWAUKEE……….. 2-8 (eliminated)

 

WEST DIVISION

SACRAMENTO… 8-2 (clinched playoffs and first place)

LOS ANGELES….. 5-5 (clinched playoffs)

GILLETTE………….4-6 (eliminated)

SAN JOSE…………3-7  (eliminated)

SEATTLE…………..3-7 (eliminated)

 

NEXT UP: Stats tabulation…announcement of MVP, Rookie of Year and All-MBA, to be followed by playoffs.

Semifinals…Oklahoma City at Sacramento

Semifinals…Los Angeles at Dallas.