Season 58 Featured Game No. 5...Gillette at Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES 88, GILLETTE 83

BIG ONE GETS OVER THE HUMPS

LOS ANGELES -- After starting Season 58 with a four-game road trip, the home team Los Angeles Big One (now 5-0) held off the charges of an obstinate Gillette team (now 1-4) by a score of 88-83 to secure a perfect record at the All Star break.

Both teams shot over 60 percent in the game, but the Big One had major advantages in both rebounding (23-14) and free throwing (16 made to 7). Still, Gillette had the home crowd sweating bullets as the Humps led by 7 points in the fourth quarter with 41 time units remaining. But the prospect of victory for the visitors dimmed considerably when star guard Maboroshi No Hotcake fouled out with 38 ticks left and his team ahead by just 4. 

Ten time units later Los Angeles tied the game, then took the lead for good at the 20 time unit mark. 

PLAYER OF THE GAME

32 GVP...Journeyman ball-handling wizard SEEYALATER SCRONTO comes up with these kinds of superb games every once in a while, and his efforts in this loss kept things interesting to the very end. The 5-11, seventh-season guard put on a show with a game-high 24-point performance that included a game-high 5 assists, a steal and a blocked shot as he went toe-to-toe with his opposite, Pinky Toe. The diminutive Scronto went 9 for 18 from the floor, including 2 of 5 from deep and 4 of 4 from the foul line. He had a total of 29 points in the first four games of the season before nearly matching that number in this game. Scronto is playing for his fourth different team in seven seasons and third different team in the past three campaigns (including spending half of last season in the cut pile). He's now averaging 10.6 ppg.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

30 GVP...Los Angeles shooting guard Pinky Toe...23 points...3 rebounds...3 assists...1 steal.

28 GVP...Los Angeles power forward Grand Demur Fuyacho...20 points...6 rebounds...1 block...1 assist. 

22 GVP...Gillette point guard Maboroshi No Hotcake...19 points...2 assists...1 rebound. 
21 GVP...Los Angeles center Otzi "The Frozen Hunter" Bolzano...15 points...3 rebounds...2 assists...1 blocked shot. 

MBA Standings … Season 58

EAST DIVISION

PHILADELPHIA………4-0

DALLAS………………3-2

OKLAHOMA CITY…..3-2

CHARLESTON……….2-3

MILWAUKEE………..1-4

 

WEST DIVISION

LOS ANGELES….5-0

SACRAMENTO… 3-2

SEATTLE………….2-3

GILLETTE…………1-4

SAN JOSE…………0-4

NEXT UP: The first half of Season 58 concludes with a thud of a game as the league’s only win-less team, San Jose, travels to Philadelphia to face one of the two remaining unbeaten MBA squads. This cross-over will likely give the East a familiar 4-1 victory mark over the West at the mid-point. To further emphasize the disparity of the two teams, Philly has the best defense in the MBA, yielding just 63 points per game, while San Jose has the worst defense, giving up 88.8 ppg.

BONUS

MBA MVP LADDER

(leading candidates coming into Featured Game)

Dave picked Djinn to win the MVP and he’s rebounded from a sub-par season (for him) to take a somewhat dominant lead in the MVP race. Meanwhile, the move to small forward for Leonard Pinth Garnel has allowed his talents to shine brighter than ever. He’s having an outstanding season. Coincidentally, Philadelphia traded the man in third place at the moment to Oklahoma City, receiving Philibuck Davia in return, which allowed the Garnel move to small forward. Spegatini has been outstanding in the first half of the season for the Lariats.

1. Ninth-year Dallas 6-2 Hall of Fame guard JUZAN DJINN 31.4 GVP plus 4 points for second place team = 35.4…Second in league in scoring (22.6 ppg)…third in free throwing (82.8 % with 24 made)…Second in blocked shots (15)…top scoring game of season (36 points)…two-time regular season MVP…three-time playoff MVP.

2.  Fifth-year Philadelphia 6-10 small forward LEONARD PINTH GARNEL 28.8 GVP plus 5 points for first place team = 33.8….top rebounder in league (7.5)…second in assists (4.5)…third in 3-point shooting (80 % with 4 made)…second in steals (5).

3. Oklahoma City 6-5  rookie shooting guard BONAFAZIO SPEGATINI 28.6 GVP plus 3 points for third place team = 31.6…third in league scoring (21.6 ppg)

 

MBA ROOKIE LADDER

(leading candidates coming into Featured Game)

The Spegatini trade described in the former section gave the shooting guard a chance to start, which he would not have had with Philadelphia. He’s seized the opportunity big time. Both Dave and Tyler picked Zigler to win the Rookie honor.

1. Oklahoma City 6-5 shooting guard BONAFAZIO SPEGATINI…28.6 GVP…21.6 ppg

2. Charleston 5-9 point guard HUMUHUM APUA…21.4 GVP…15.8 ppg

3. Gillette 6-8 forward ZACH “ZING-ZING” ZIGLER…16.4 GVP…12.3 ppg