Season 58 Featured Game No. 10...Los Angeles at Sacramento

SACRAMENTO 79, LOS ANGELES 76

R-DOGS BEST BIG ONE

SACRAMENTO -- This time it was Sacramento (now 7-3) by 3 points, 79-76, with the River Dogs hanging on for payback for an earlier 82-79 loss to these same Los Angeles Big One (now 8-2).

In an excruciating fourth quarter in which they watched their 10-point lead get all the way down to 1, the R-Dogs could manage just 9 points as L.A. closed the gap with a series of blocked shots by Phillip Mianus. But, nursing a 1-point lead, Sacramento point guard Rabbit Munchers hit a welcome trey with 8 ticks left to provide some breathing room. But the lead was back to 1 in an instant as Los Angeles pivot Otzi Bolzano immediately scored, was fouled and hit his free throw. 

The winning bucket came at the 5 time unit mark when POG Satan Israel of Sacramento took control at the top of the key, drove to the cup and slammed home what turned out to be the game-winner. 

So now we have four threats to win the title this season, with a quartet of playoff teams who have all won at least 7 games.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

36 GVP...Retiring power forward SATAN ISRAEL of Sacramento was the difference in this game, scoring a game-high 32 points despite missing essentially all of the third quarter with a recurring injury. The 6-8 Israel, in his eighth and final campaign, was due for a big scoring outing. With guards Rabbit Munchers and Bellybutton Inquisition carrying a majority of the scoring load all season, Israel's offensive numbers were the lowest of his career. He picked an excellent time to rectify that situation, hitting his first 10 shots of the game as he notched 12 points in the first quarter, followed by 15 more in the second. His final total of 32 came on 13 of 16 shooting, including 3 slam dunks and 6 for 7 from the foul line. He is now averaging 14.5 points per game. He dominated his man, Grand Demur Fuyacho, who was returning to the Big One lineup from injury for the first time in four games. If The R-Dogs are going to do anything in the post season, they'll need Israel to be a productive part of their offense...and to stay healthy.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

25 GVP...Sacramento point guard Rabbit Munchers...18 points (4 treys)...4 rebounds...2 assists...1 steal.

25 GVP...Los Angeles Hall of Fame point guard Vicious Hick...16 points (3 treys)...6 assists...3 rebounds.

24 GVP...Los Angeles center Otzi "the Frozen Hunter" Bolzano...17 points...7 rebounds.

23 GVP...Los Angeles shooting guard Pinky Toe...18 points...3 rebounds...2 assists.

A LOOK AT THE TIGHT MVP RACE

This is one of the closest MVP races in recent memory, with three, maybe four players squarely in the hunt.

Prior to this Featured Game, the race looks as follows:

1. guard Pinky Toe of Los Angeles…32.3 GVP points

1. forward Leonard Pinth Garnel of Philadelphia… 32.3 GVP points

3. Hall of Fame guard Juzan Djinn of Dallas… 31.4 GVP points

4. center Poop-Rupiah 3000 of Dallas…30.4 GVP points

MBA Standings … Season 58

EAST DIVISION

PHILADELPHIA………8-1 (clinched playoffs)

DALLAS………………7-2

OKLAHOMA CITY…..4-5

CHARLESTON……….3-6 (eliminated)

MILWAUKEE………..1-8 (eliminated)

 

WEST DIVISION

LOS ANGELES….8-2 (clinched playoffs and first place in division)

SACRAMENTO… 7-3 (clinched playoffs)

GILLETTE…………4-6 (eliminated)

SEATTLE………….3-6 (eliminated)

SAN JOSE…………2-8 (eliminated)

NEXT UP:  Philadelphia at Oklahoma City. The Phobia could clinch both first place in the East and home court advantage for the entire playoffs with a road win against the Lariats. Philly, on a 3-game winning streak, handled Oklahoma City fairly easily 76-63 in their first meeting, with Phobia center Blob Dylan domineering during the proceedings.

 

Season 58, Featured Game No. 9...Oklahoma City at Dallas

DALLAS 90, OKLAHOMA CITY 65 (Slaughter Rule Enforced)

DEMONS DESTROY LARIATS

DALLAS -- With this 90-65 manhandling by Dallas of Oklahoma City, the playoff teams are set for Season 58. All that remains is determining first place in the East in a race between current leader Philadelphia and the six-time-defending-champion Demons and who gets home court advantage throughout the post-season.

This Featured Game was competitive up until halftime. In the third quarter, Dallas outscored the visitors 20-7 and it was all over. 

The Demons, who possess the longest current winning streak at 5, crushed Oklahoma City defensively, preventing 19 would-be points.

The victors shot 71.2 percent from the floor to just 50.9 percent for the Lariats.

Points prevented...Dallas 19, Oklahoma City 3

Turnovers caused: Oklahoma City 4, Dallas 3

Tops in points prevented: Juzan Djinn of Dallas with 13, Poop-Rupiah 3000 of Dallas with 4

Tops in turnovers caused: Oblio Assbag of Oklahoma City with 2

PLAYER OF THE GAME

27 GVP...Role-playing power forward NICK KENPOOP of Dallas stepped up and claimed POG honors for the first time this season with a game-high 20-point performance. The 6-10, fourth-year man dominated Oklahoma City's L.S. Island, scoring on 8 of 9 shots, slamming home 3 dunks and going 4 of 6 from the foul line. The sharp passing big man tied for game-high in assists with 4 while pulling down 3 boards. A steady, if not spectacular piece in the last two Dallas championships, Kenpoop is now scoring at a modest-but-steady 12 points per game, which is tied for his best scoring season.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

23 GVP...Dallas small forward Venial Sinn...19 points...3 assists...1 rebound.

23 GVP...Oklahoma City small forward Rumpy Pumpy Lewis...17 points...3 rebounds...3 assists.

20 GVP...Dallas Hall of Fame two guard Juzan Djinn...11 points...4 rebounds...3 blocked shots...2 assists...game-high 13 points prevented.

MBA Standings … Season 58

EAST DIVISION

PHILADELPHIA………7-1 (clinched playoffs)

DALLAS………………7-2 (clinched playoffs)

OKLAHOMA CITY…..4-5

CHARLESTON……….3-6 (eliminated)

MILWAUKEE………..1-7 (eliminated)

 

WEST DIVISION

LOS ANGELES….7-1 (clinched playoffs and first place in division)

SACRAMENTO… 6-3 (clinched playoffs)

GILLETTE…………4-5 (eliminated)

SEATTLE………….3-6 (eliminated)

SAN JOSE…………1-8 (eliminated)

NEXT UP:  Bracket 9 concludes with first-place Philly at last-place Milwaukee. The Phobia is still jostling for first in the East with Dallas as well as home court throughout the playoffs. They held Milwaukee to 53 measly points in their first meeting, winning by 15 behind Itstha Bishop and Leonard Pinth Garnel’s duo POG performances.

 

Season 58 Featured Game No. 8...Sacramento at Los Angeles

 

LOS ANGELES 82, SACRAMENTO 79

L.A. comes back in barn-burner

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Big One (now 7-1), trailing by 9 points with 54 time units left in the game, rallied to come all the way back for an electrifying 82-79 victory over second-place Sacramento (now 5-3). 

The victory clinches a playoff spot for L.A.; its second in a row. They join Philadelphia as guaranteed post-season teams.

The Big One used a trio of 3-pointers by Vicious Hick in the fourth quarter and took the lead for good on a short jumper by center Otzi Bolzano with 3 time units remaining. 

The victory gives L.A. its first 7-win season in eight campaigns; the most since Season 50 when they went 9-1 in a championship year.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

35 GVP..."MIGHTY MITE" BELLYBUTTON INQUISITION was the star of the show for the Sacramento River Dogs in this tough loss. The 5-11, 6th-year veteran scored a game-high 27 points in a head-to-head shootout with league scoring leader Pinky Toe of L.A. Inquisition got off to a great start, scoring 11 points in the first quarter on the way to a 12 for 20 shooting day, with 1 slam dunk. He was also 3 for 3 from the foul line and tied for game-high in assists with 4 and team-high in rebounds with 4. A three-time all star, this hard-driving back court player has become sharper with the passage of time. He's scoring at a career-best 17.6 points per game and has sparked the revitalized Sacramento franchise after coming to them in the free agent draft. 

Other 20-plus GVP performers

26 GVP...Retiring Los Angeles forward Phillip Mianus...15 points...5 rebounds...4 blocked shots...1 assist...1 steal.

25 GVP...Hall of Fame Los Angeles point guard Vicious Hick...17 points (4 treys)...6 rebounds...2 assists.

20 GVP...Los Angeles center Otzi "the Frozen Hunter" Bolzano...13 points...5 rebounds...1 blocked shot...1 assist

25 GVP...Los Angeles shooting guard Pinky Toe...21 points...3 assists...1 rebound.

MBA Standings … Season 58

EAST DIVISION

PHILADELPHIA………7-1 (clinched playoffs)

DALLAS…………………6-2

OKLAHOMA CITY…..4-4

CHARLESTON……….3-5 (eliminated)

MILWAUKEE………..1-7 (eliminated)

 

WEST DIVISION

LOS ANGELES….7-1 (clinched playoffs)

SACRAMENTO… 5-3

SEATTLE………….3-4

GILLETTE…………2-5

SAN JOSE…………1-7 (eliminated)

NEXT UP: Bracket 8 concludes with Seattle hosting Gillette. A win would put the home team Stampede just one game behind Sacramento for the second playoff berth. But there is no guarantee. The Humps bested Seattle in Bracket 6 with a 75-68 setback behind the hot shooting of Maboroshi No Hotcake.