Season 55 Playoffs...Finals Game 2...Dallas at Charleston

DALLAS 82, CHARLESTON 67

CHARLESTON NOT SLAUGHTERED

CHARLESTON -- The Dallas Demons, perhaps bored by the ease in which they were killing an undermanned Charleston squad, turned in their first non-slaughter rule win in these playoffs, still gliding to a comfortable 82-67 win.

The three-time defending champs are now just one victory away from capturing their fourth consecutive title. They have now won 12 games in a row and have been victorious in 29 of their last 30 games.

This latest win looked like another blowout, with Dallas jumping out to a 14-0 run to start things out. The barrage continued into the third quarter, where the Demons, controlling the backboards like they owned them, led by as much as 30 points.

But in the fourth quarter, Charleston pride kicked in, and led by two-time All-MBA forward Piping Plover, the Mountaineers kind of made a sort of game of it, reducing the deficit all the way down to 12 points with 19 ticks left before the big bad boys from D Town finally brought home the 15-point victory. 

The Charleston fans, witnessing their first Finals home game in 10 seasons, never left their seats...standing and roaring as their Don Quixote team tilted at the monstrous windmill. Perhaps with the return to the lineup of Kopi Luwak in Game 3, the Mountaineers can make the Demons sweat a little more as Dallas moves unrelentingly toward another crown. 

Would a Charleston road win be asking too much? Probably.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

31 GVP...Two-time All-MBA forward PIPING PLOVER of Charleston showed why he has earned two foil stars in the past two seasons, putting together a game-high 28-point performance in the face of one of the MBA's top defenders, Pete Marzano. With Charleston missing two of its top scorers, the team leaned heavily on the 6-7, third-year man who delivered 12 buckets on 19 shots, including a trey in his lone attempt from beyond the arc. He also slammed one home, added 3 for 3 from the foul line to make him 12 for 12 in the post-season, tied for game-high with 2 steals and grabbed 1 rebound. "The Rare Bird" is now averaging 19.3 ppg in the playoffs. 

Other 20-plus GVP performers

30 GVP...Dallas center Biggus Dickus...18 points...9 rebounds...2 assists...1 blocked shot. 

25 GVP...League MVP and Hall of Fame shooting guard Juzan Djinn...17 points...3 blocks...2 rebounds...2 assists...1 steal.

Points Prevented By quarters

Dallas...2...5...3...6  Total=16

Charl....3...1...3...6   Total=13

Tops in Points Prevented

1. Marzano, Dallas...7

2. Dickus, Dallas......6

3. Numdrum, Charleston...5

NEXT UP: The Dallas Demons return home just one win away from their 9th franchise championship and fourth in a row. This would be the sixth Dallas title in the past 10 seasons; a decade of dominance matched only by the Philadelphia super teams of Seasons 14 to 24, who delivered 7 in 11 campaigns.

 

Season 55 Playoffs...Finals Game 1...Charleston at Dallas

DALLAS 96, CHARLESTON 58 (Slaughter Rule Enforced)

OH, THE HUMANITY

DALLAS -- The execution of the Charleston Mountaineers in this Season 55 Finals took one game as the three time-defending champion Dallas Demons rained down a bloodbath on the visitors in the Series opener, dominating with a 96-58 victory.

That makes three Slaughter Rule victories in three playoff games for the Demons this post-season.

A 24-8 second-quarter blitz by Dallas broke things wide open for the Demons who were never challenged thereafter. They led by 18 at the half, which happened to be the number of points accumulated to that point by last season's playoff MVP, Vicious Hick of the victors. 

Things got worse, as Charleston's main offensive threat, Kopi Luwak, became the second Mountaineers starter to be lost to injury. He was hurt halfway through the third quarter for the rest of the game and all of the next game, joining starting center Johnny Bananas in street clothes. 

The 38-point win was still well short of the 42-point victory playoff record set in Season 52 by Dallas over Milwaukee in the Finals. 

With the cut pile for guards at slim pickings, Charleston recruited third-year turd Swifty Twitch to replace Luwak on the roster for the next game.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

44 GVP...Making his bid for a second consecutive Playoff MVP award, second-year Dallas point guard VICIOUS HICK was a bombadier personified in this win, dropping in 7 long ones in 9 attempts on the way to a game-high 32 points. Let's be clear...there is nobody at the guard position on Charleston who can guard Hick when he sets up shop behind the arc. The 6-2 Hick notched the third triple-double of his career by adding a game-high 7 assists and pulling down 5 rebounds. Together with fellow guard Juzan Djinn, the Dallas guard tandem had as many rebounds as the entire Charleston team. Hick sank 12 of his 15 shots and was 1 for 1 from the foul line. 

Other 20-plus GVP performers

27 GVP...Hall of Fame Dallas shooting guard and MBA MVP Juzan Djinn...16 points...6 rebounds...2 assists...2 blocked shots...1 steal.

25 GVP...Charleston rookie power forward Nick Kenpoop...17 points...4 rebounds...4 assists.

23 GVP...Dallas center Biggus Dickus...16 points...4 rebounds...2 assists...1 blocked shot.

20 GVP...Dallas power forward Satan Israel...16 points...4 rebounds.

NEXT UP: The teams travel to Charleston for what will be the only home game for Mountaineer fans. With two Charleston starters out, this is no longer a remotely competitive championship series. 

MOST PLAYOFF MVPS

3...Cappy Gambol

3...Stu Nod

2...Chip Battoe

2...Dan Mann

2...Curly Hogbottom

2...Saggital Occlusal

2...Jonny Cockaroo

2...Boone Doggle

2...Hrundi V. Bakshi

2...Cock A. Doodledoo

2...Beezow Bop-Bop

2...Diss Reflexia

2...Juzan Djinn (active

 

Season 55 Playoffs...SemiFinals Game 2...Dallas at San Jose

DALLAS 83, SAN JOSE 59 (Slaughter Rule Enforced)

DEMONS GRIND UP AMIGOS
 SAN JOSE -- Two slaughter-rule games and out as the three-time defending champs from Dallas shake the San Jose team off its back like an eagle shakes off rain. This second win, an 83-59 road triumph in which they shot 65.4 percent, puts the Demons in the Finals for the fourth consecutive season. 

Following their usual pattern Dallas used an ungodly spurt of 25-8 in the third quarter to put this clinching contest out of reach.

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

22 GVP...San Jose rookie point guard DONNIE DUPONS led his team in scoring with 17 points while posting a game-high 4 assists. The 6-2 Dupons was 5 for 13 from the field, potting 2 of 7 from deep and going 5 for 5 at the foul line. He added 1 rebound.

22 GVP...Hall of Fame Dallas shooting guard JUZAN DJINN led all scorers with 20 points, going 9 for 14 from the field while canning 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. He added 1 rebound and 1 assist.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

None

Points prevented by quarters

Dallas...0...9...6...0   Total=15

S.Jose...0...2...4...4...Total-10

Tops in points prevented

1. Pete Marzano, Dallas...6

2. St. Ides, San Jose...4

NEXT UP: Game 1 of the Finals, with heavily favored Dallas hosting Charleston. The Mountaineers are the only team to have defeated the Demons in the champs' last 28 games, doing so in astounding fashion with an 89-69 drubbing in Dallas in the second game of the season. The Demons avenged that loss by crushing Charleston at home 84-52. 

This will be just the second time Charleston and Dallas have locked horns in the Finals. The only time they met with the championship on the line was in Season 42, with Naf Naf-led Charleston coming out on top in the 2019 Florida games, 3 games to 1. It was the Mountaineers' last championship, with Dallas spoiling what would have been a perfect season with a Game 3 87-83 upset, led by Demons Playoff MVP Bingo Bango's 37 points.

Season 55 Playoffs...SemiFinals...Seattle at Charleston...Game 2

 Charleston 79, Seattle 76

MOUNTAINEERS IN FINALS

CHARLESTON -- The Charleston Mountaineers, minus injured center Johnny Bananas, held off a fourth-quarter charge by the Seattle Stampede to sweep this SemiFinals series with a 79-76 win to return to the MBA Finals for the first time since Season 45.

It was a bittersweet win for Charleston, which lost its two-time All-MBA center Bananas early in the second quarter to a 7-game injury (basically the rest of the playoffs). What would the playoffs be without a Dave team losing a key player? Rookie Flatfoot Floogie turned in an excellent performance as the Mountaineer's new pivot, but will he be able to stand up to the rigors presented by Biggus Dickus and Dallas?

Seattle lost despite shooting 65.5 percent. Free throws were a major factor, with Charleston sinking 17 of 18 compared to just 3 of 4 for the Stampede.

Following six seasons in the cut pile, center John-John Grubb was called up by Charleston management to replace Johnny Bananas on the Finals roster. Grubb has never seen MBA action.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

29 GVP...Charleston's two-time All-MBA small forward PIPING PLOVER followed up his 18-point Game One performance with a game-high 24-point effort to earn POG honors. The 6-7, third-year man was the go-to guy in this one for the Mountaineers, going 9 for 14 from the floor (1 for 2 from deep and 5 for 5 from the foul line) while pulling down 4 boards and assisting once. 

Other 20-plus GVP performers

27 GVP...Seattle point guard Bellybutton Inquisition...18 points...7 assists...2 rebounds.

25 GVP...Charleston's rookie back-up center Flatfoot Floogie...19 points...5 rebounds...1 assist.

24 GVP...Seattle forward Erik A. Crocidale...16 points...4 rebounds...3 blocked shots...1 assist.

22 GVP...Seattle All-MBA center Chochky Galumpkus...18 points...2 assists...1 rebound...1 block

21 GVP...Charleston power forward Nick Kenpoop...15 points (3 slams)...3 rebounds...2 blocks...1 assist.

21 GVP...Charleston guard Kopi Luwak...16 points...3 rebounds...2 assists.

NEXT UP: San Jose faces the daunting task of having to beat mighty Dallas two games in a row. Look for the Demons to take their familiar place in the Finals against the latest Dave team to face these Goliaths.

Season 55 Playoffs...SemiFinals Game 1...San Jose at Dallas

DALLAS 74, SAN JOSE 54 (Slaughter Rule Enforced)

DALLAS DEMONS DOMINATE

DALLAS--Three-time defending champion Dallas handed visiting San Jose its head on the way to a 74-54 Slaughter Rule victory to begin its Season 55 playoff run.

San Jose, which was held to 44.4 percent shooting and out-rebounded 31-18, actually led 11-10 early in the game before the Demons ripped off 12 consecutive points to end the first quarter, signaling the start of the ass-whooping.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

31 GVP...Former playoff MVP PETE "THE STEAKMAN" MARZANO got his post-season off to an outstanding start as he dominated Scobee Bryant of San Jose on the way to a game-high 24-point performance that included a game-high 5 blocked shots. Marzano nearly doubled his regular-season average of 12.2 points per game, going 11 for 16 from the floor and repeatedly burning the Amigos with one short jump shot after another. The 6-8 fourth-year small forward was 0 for 2 from deep, slammed one home and was 2 for 3 from the foul line. Besides killing it defensively, he added 2 rebounds.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

23 GVP...Dallas point guard Vicious Hick...14 points...7 rebounds...2 assists. 

22 GVP...Dallas center Biggus Dickus...12 points...8 rebounds...2 assists. 

22 GVP...San Jose's All-MBA shooting guard Vinnie Zazeech...19 points...2 rebounds...1 assist.

21 GVP...Dallas power forward Satan Israel...11 rebounds...9 points...1 assist. 

NEXT UP: Seattle will be fighting for its playoff life as it takes to the road to visit Charleston, which can wrap up a Finals berth with a second straight victory. 

 

Season 55 playoffs...SemiFinals Game 1...Charleston at Seattle

Charleston 75, Seattle 63

MOUNTAINEERS WIN OPENER

SEATTLE -- The visiting Charleston Mountaineers got a monster game off the bench from bombadier Itsaka Numdrum and took advantage of Seattle's season-long inability to hit from beyond the arc, capturing Game 1 in this best of 3, 75-63.

Playing their first playoff game in five seasons, Charleston used a 29-point second quarter to stake themselves to a 48-33 halftime lead, with Numdrum nailing 3 of his 4 treys during that stretch. They upped that advantage to 20 points early in the third quarter, in what looked like the development of a blowout game, but Seattle fought back stubbornly to within 12 going into the fourth.

With a coffee-fueled Seattle crowd exhorting them on, the Stampede got within 8 points, but their 1 for 15 shooting from deep was something they could not overcome. 

During the season, Seattle was the worst in the league from beyond the arc, shooting 15.2 percent, so this was no fluke.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

30 GVP...Playing outstanding ball in a losing effort, second-year Seattle two guard HILBEE "THE SKINNY GERMAN" JUGGLEBOY scored 14 points, grabbed a game-high 9 rebounds, blocked a game-high 3 shots, dished 3 helpers and swiped 1 steal. The 6-2 defensive stalwart was 5 for 9 from the floor (0 for 2 from deep) and 4 of 5 from the foul line. He started the game with a 5-rebound first quarter.

 

Other 20-plus GVP performers

26 GVP...Charleston's All-MBA forward Piping Plover...18 points...4 rebounds...2 steals...2 assists.

24 GVP...Charleston guard Kopi Luwak...16 points...5 rebounds...3 assists.

22 GVP...Charleston substitute guard Itsaka Numdrum...16 points...(4 treys)...5 rebounds...1 steal.

22 GVP...Seattle foraward Erik A. Crocidale...16 points...4 rebounds...1 assist...1 blocked shot.

NEXT UP: The powerful Dallas Demons (9-1) begin their quest for a fourth consecutive MBA crown as they host the underdog San Jose Fighting Amigos (7-3). The Demons have won 6 consecutive playoff games with basically the same overwhelming lineup and have a 25-1 record in their last 26 contests. Meanwhile, San Jose returns to the post season for the first time in three seasons, with a 3-game winning streak. Dallas counters with an 8-game victory streak of its own. The two clubs, which boast the two youngest starting lineups in the MBA,  did not meet during the regular season.

Season 55 Wrap-Up

Next Up: SemiFinals Game 1...Charleston at Seattle...They met in the last game for each team during the regular season, with the Stampede winning at home 79-70, with Chocky Galumpkus as POG with 23 points. Seattle killed Charleston on the boards in this victory, 26-11.

 

Season 55 Featured Game No. 10...Charleston at Seattle

 SEATTLE 79, CHARLESTON 70

STAMPEDE OUT-MUSCLES LARIATS

SEATTLE -- Dominating the backboards 26-11, the Seattle Stampede (7-3) completed one of the franchise's most successful regular seasons by dusting the visiting Charleston Mountaineers 79-70 in what they hope will be a preview of first round playoff success against that same team. 

Barring a 30-something point win margin by San Jose in its final game against Sacramento, Seattle will finish in first place in the West, securing playoff assignments for all four post-season teams.

Seattle, led by center Chochky Galumpkus, took a healthy lead early and using the league's top defense, never let the visitors off the mat. At halftime, Seattle's 5-11 point guard Bellybutton Inquisition, was out-rebounding Charleston by himself, 6 to 5. As the Stampede faithful roared, the team led by as many as 19 points in the third quarter, and by the time Charleston (now 6-4) started finding some offense in the fourth quarter, the game was already well in hand. 

The cross-over win was just the third of the season, with the East finishing on top (as usual) 7-3.

The seven-win campaign by Seattle was the team's best regular season total since they went 7-3 in Season 23. And you have to go all the way back back back back back to Season 10, to find the last time the Stampede finished in first place in its division (8-2...lost in Finals). This is just the third time in 55 seasons that Seattle has finished first going into the playoffs.

Points Prevented

Charleston=6

Seattle=9

Tops in points prevented

1. Chochky Galumpkus, Seattle...4

1. Nick Kenpoop, Charleston.......4

3. Hilbee Juggleboy, Seattle..........3

PLAYER OF THE GAME

31 GVP...Making a strong bid for his third All-MBA foil star, Seattle savior CHOCHKY GALUMPKUS, the tallest man in the MBA at 7-1, finished off the regular season with his fourth POG of the season, tying him for most overall with Pinky Toe of Los Angeles and Hall of Fame guard Juzan Djinn of Dallas. Galumpkus came to Seattle via free agency from Oklahoma City and turned the franchise around as the team went from 3-7 in last place to 7-3 and first place. He came into this final contest of Season 55 just barely ahead of rookie center Poop-Rupiah 3000 of his old Oklahoma City team and really gave the youngster something difficult to shoot at as far as that foil star is concerned. Galumpkus scored a game-high 23 points, dominating last season's All-MBA center Johnny Bananas, while pulling down 5 rebounds and tying for team-high in assists with 3. Additionally, he played superb defense, tying for the most points prevented in the game with 4. Galumpkus, in his 10th season, was 11 for 15 from the field with 3 slams and 1 for 1 from the foul line. He ended up with a 15.5 points per game scoring average and 5.5 rebounds per game, both tops on his team. Additionally, his 2.6 assists per game is almost one full assist better than his previous best season and his 13 blocks are also a personal best campaign.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

30 GVP...Charleston small forward Piping Plover...21 points...4 rebounds...3 blocks...1 assist...1 steal.

24 GVP...Seattle small forward Erik A. Crocidale...14 points...6 rebounds...2 blocks...2 assists. 

23 GVP...Seattle point guard Bellybutton Inquisition...11 points...9 rebounds...3 assists. 

21 GVP...Charleston rookie power forward Nick Kenpoop...15 points...3 rebounds...2 assists...1 block.

20 GVP...Retiring Seattle power forward Frog Morton...16 points...4 rebounds. 

MBA Standings … Season 55

EAST DIVISION

DALLAS………………8-1 (clinched playoffs and home court advantage)

CHARLESTON………. 6-4 (clinched playoffs)

PHILADELPHIA………5-4 (eliminated)

OKLAHOMA CITY…..4-5 (eliminated)

MILWAUKEE……….. 2-7 (eliminated)

 

WEST DIVISION

SEATTLE………….7-3 (clinched playoffs)

SAN JOSE…………6-3 (clinched playoffs)

GILLETTE…………5-4 (eliminated)

SACRAMENTO… 2-7 (eliminated)

LOS ANGELES….. 1-8 (eliminated)

NEXT UP: Milwaukee at Oklahoma City. The Greyhounds already have last place sewed up. The Lariats have an outside chance for third place, but only if they smear Milwaukee and Dallas creams Philadelphia. Oklahoma City bested Milwaukee to open the season 82-68. The real watch is Oklahoma City rookie Poop-Rupiah 3000 trying to catch Chochky Galumpkus for All-MBA center. He needs a huge game, but standing in his way is Hall of Fame pivot J.J. Gargantuan.