Season 35 Playoffs...Preliminaries, Game 2, Chicago at San Jose

CHICAGO 80, SAN JOSE 65

GALE BLOWS PAST SAN JOSE TO SECURE BERTH IN FINALS

SAN JOSE -- The Chicago Gale, behind the record-tying 3-point shooting of league MVP Didger A'doo, broke open this finals-clinching game in the second half to toast the home team San Jose Fighting Amigos 80-65.

Didger A'doo scored 31 points, most by any player in the playoffs this season, connecting on 8 3-pointers to tie him with the great Cappy Gambol and Horn E. Goatweed for most treys made in a playoff game. Gambol's record was established in Season 5 for Milwaukee against Houston and Goatweed's came in Season 23 while playing for Milwaukee against Dallas. A'doo, who was 8 for 16 from beyond the arc, hit the tying trey with 64 time units left in the game and had a chance to break the record on the final shot of the contest; but the ball rimmed out.

The Chicago victory puts the franchise in its first MBA finals since back in Season 16, the last time they won the championship. That was 19 seasons ago, in the final month of the year 2002.

A'doo's running mate at guard, Beezow Bop-Bop also had a noteworthy game, pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds while scoring 14 and dishing 4 assists. Small forward Harold Arlen also lit it up for Chicago with 20 points.

Playing what turned out to be the last games of their MBA careers were Schweaty Ballz and Kevin Mickle of San Jose. Ballz had a team-high 9 boards and Mickle was the team's high scorer with 17.

Hall of Famer Gato Do Mato had another rough day. Defended again by Nobby Nabob of Chicago, the 6-11 forward followed up his 7-point performance with an even more disappointing 6 points.

NEXT UP: Chicago travels to Oklahoma City for Game 1 of the Season 35 MBA Finals.

MBA Season 35 Playoffs...Preliminaries Game 2

Oklahoma City 61, Houston 60

OKLAHOMA CITY EDGES HOUSTON FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE FINALS APPEARANCE

HOUSTON -- The Oklahoma City Lariats will return to the MBA finals for the second consecutive season, an achievement that the franchise reached just once before in the glory days of Seasons 12 and 13 when Diamond Dallas Paige roamed the paint.

But it wasn't easy.

The defending champion Iguanas held the lead 32-28 with 55 time units remaining in the third quarter when Hall of Famer Hrundi V. Bakshi broke three fingers on his shooting hand in a freak accident that brought the screaming Terrarium crowd to a hushed silence. Bakshi left the game and would not return. Word later came down that he would have been lost for the remainder of the playoffs, regardless of how Houston fared in this game.

As it turned out, that four-point lead was short-lived, as the Lariats took a 47-42 advantage by the end of the third quarter. They then led by as many as 10 before Houston mounted a last-ditch comeback that brought them within three in the waning moments. When Walt White (9 points) of Oklahoma City stuck a medium jumper to put his team up by five with just 4 time units left, victory seemed secure for the Lariats. But a bucket by T. "Kanes" Masterson, subbing for Bakshi, was followed by a steal from Snarkey Comment, who missed on a drive to the hole that was tipped in by teammate Rogersaurus Adamson. Time then ran out for Houston.

Houston center Sanjay Patel, who was shut out by All-MBA center Max Payne in Game 1, outplayed his nemesis in this one, scoring a game-high 16 points, grabbing 5 boards and blocking two shots to win MVP of the Game honors.

The loss means that the careers of both starting forwards for Houston, Adamson and Looky Whos, are over.

PLAYOFF NOTES: The elimination of Houston means that for just the third time in 35 seasons, there will be two Dave Masterson teams in the finals. Anyone care to guess how many times Tyler teams have faced off in the finals?

Next Up: The Chicago Gale travels to San Jose looking for a win that would put them in their first finals since they last won it all in Season 16.

MBA Season 35 Playoffs...Preliminaries Game 1

Chicago 76, San Jose 68

CHICAGO HANGS ON FOR FIRST PLAYOFF WIN IN 18 SEASONS

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Gale, led by guard Beezow Doo-Doo Zopitty Bop Bop-Bop (game-high 24 points) and center Wayan Garuda's 23-point effort, took a 14-point lead into the fourth quarter and held on for an eight-point, 76-68 win over the visiting San Jose Fighting Amigos.
It was Chicago's first playoff triumph since Season 17.
Both teams received sub-par performances from their All-MBA stars, as neither Hall of Fame forward Gato Do Mato (7 points) of San Jose nor Chicago's league MVP Didger A'doo (6 points, fouled out) could crack double digits in scoring.
But second-year guard Bop-Bop of Chicago took up the slack at the outset for the home team, blistering the nets for 13 points in the first quarter on 6 of 6 shooting that included a trey, as Chicago and San Jose put on a show for the packed house early on, with the Gale leading 28-21 after one.
Garuda took over the scoring for the Gale in the second half, where he netted a majority of his 23 points and accumulated a game-high 7 rebounds to win Game MVP honors.
The Amigos scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to pull within eight but could never get closer than six.

MBA PLAYOFF NOTES: Three of the four teams in this season's playoffs are holdovers from last year, with San Jose replacing Sacramento in the quartet.
The first-round match-up of Oklahoma City and Houston is a rematch of last season's finals in which the Iguanas swept the Lariats three straight.

Next Up: Oklahoma City can make a return trip to the finals with a win as they visit defending champion Houston in the hot and sweaty Terrarium.

MBA Season 35 Playoffs...Game 1 Preliminaries

Oklahoma City Lariats 77, Houston Iguanas 53

LARIATS BLOW DOORS OFF CHAMPS IN PLAYOFF OPENER

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The best defensive team in the MBA held the defending champion Houston Iguanas to just 53 points on the way to a convincing 77-53 playoff-opening win in a game coached until halftime by Houston owner Tyler Masterson.
The Lariats had the most wins in the MBA this season (8-2) and played like the championship favorites they are.
Fourteen-year veteran substitute Tubes Mullard came off the bench to score a game-high 28 points in three quarters and All-MBA 10-year center Max Payne had 19 poinjts with 5 rebounds, 4 blocks, a steal and an assist. Mullard and Payne shared MVP of the Game honors.
Hall of Famer Hrundi V. Bakshi was in constant foul trouble for Houston and left the game with his fifth infraction early in the fourth quarter. Houston center Sanjay Patel, shut out by the defense of Payne, followed suit halfway through the fourth.
The bright spot for the Iguanas was forward Looky Whos, who registered his third triple-double of the season and fourth of his career, scoring 14 points, grabbing 5 rebounds and blocking 5 shots. He was one assist shy of the rare quadruple double, achieved only by two players in history, J.D.Jedreat, and, who else. Whos.

PLAYOFF NOTES: These are probably the four tightest teams in terms of talent we have seen in the playoffs in a long time. Although Oklahoma City may be the favorite, they were beaten twice in the regular season by San Jose (7-3. And San Jose (7-3) also bested Houston 89-69 in their only meeting this season. Houston (6-4 in regular season) split with Chicago (7-3).

Next Up: San Jose is back in the playoffs for the sixth time in the past seven seasons and travels to Chicago, which, after a 16-season dry spell, has now made the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Gale is projected the meet Oklahoma City in the finals, but San Jose is on a four-game win streak, while Chicago finished the season with a 2-3 second half.

Season 35 Review

West wins All Star Game again...Talisker repeats as Game MVP

West 84, East 73

SAN JOSE -- Smokey Talisker became just the third player in MBA history to win All Star Game MVP honors in back-to-back seasons as he led the West stars to their seventh win in the last 10 games. The 6-9 forward from Seattle registered a triple-double in the victory, scoring 16, grabbing 5 rebounds and registering 5 assists. He also added 3 blocked shots.

He joins Cappy Gambol and Uncle Bob Masterson as the only players to win back to back MVP awards in the star contest.

Second-year forward Art Vandelay from Milwaukee led everyone in scoring with 21 but could not stop Talisker from tearing it up.

The East still leads the series 22-13.

Next Up: Chicago (5-0) at Philadelphia (3-2).

Halfway Home Season 35...Standings...Leaders...All Stars...Retirements

STANDINGS
Two unbeaten teams...one in each division...both belonging to Dave. Can this really be? Stay tuned for second half.



LEADERS
Chicago's Didger A'doo going for second scoring championship. Gale front-liners one-two in rebounding.



ALL STARS A VETERAN BUNCH
--Gato Do Mato of San Jose becomes 37th member of MBA Hall of Fame with election to all star game. He enters the Hall as the 12th forward and 9th most decorated forward in history.
--Hrudi V. Bakshi and Do Mato each make their 6th all star team...only the 24th and 25th to do so in history.
--Bakshi of Houston now has 18 awards on his card, making him tied with Mamadou Zongo and Boone Doggle for 5th most honored player of all time; also tied with Zongo for third best guard ever behind Uncle Bob Masterson and Cappy Gambol.
--Four first-time all stars
--Just one rookie makes teams.
--Heater Van Meter of Milwaukee is oldest all star.



RETIREMENTS
--20 players retiring after this season --- eight are currently starters
--Hardest hit...Houston with both starting forwards retiring and Sacramento with starting guard and starting center.
--Most decorated retiree...Achilles Heel of Oklahoma City...6 all star appearances and a rookie of the year award
--Yes...longtime cut pile center Pug Mahone, who has been around since Season 9, dodges retirement once again.