MBA Season 43 Playoff Summary

REFLEXIA RETIRES WITH SECOND PLAYOFF MVP HONOR
As you can see via this page, the retiring Philadelphia center Diss Reflexia earned the MBA's Season 43 Playoff MVP...the second time he has done so. "The Pocket Pivot" first won the award with Seattle in Season 37, his second season in the league, when he led the Stampede to its only championship. This latest MVP honor, along with the championship ring he garnered with the Phobia this season, gives Reflexia nine awards on his card. This is one short of instant Hall of Fame recognition, but puts him in position to gain Hall of Fame entry as early as next season via the veterans committee.


GULEMON MON-MON GETS INTO THE HALL OF FAME
Longtime MBA power forward Gulemon Mon-Mon became the 47th member of the Hall of Fame. His induction came via the veterans committee, whereby a player retired for at least one full season who has at least 9 awards on his card, gains entrance to the Hall if no other player with 10 or more awards has been enshrined that particular season. Only one player per season can gain Hall membership via this route.

Gulemon Mon-Mon, a 6-11 powerhouse forward, came into the MBA in Season 27 with the Oklahoma City Lariats, the same year that the Lariats welcomed their other rookie forward, Jimmy Wharfdale, who captured the Rookie of the Year award with Mon-Mon a close second. Mon-Mon spent nine seasons with Oklahoma City, the last four coming off the bench, and was part of the Lariats' championship team in Season 35, his last with the team. He was then seemingly re-born with the Dallas Demons, where he played the remaining 7 seasons of a remarkable 16-season career. During that Dallas period, he earned two All-MBA stars, the first coming in his 12th campaign and the final one in his last MBA season. He garnered 6 All Star Game appearances along the way. Mon-Mon led the league in rebounding, free-throw shooting and shooting percentage at various times in his career. He led his team in rebounding four times, in steals once, in free-throw shooting twice and in shooting percentage 6 times in his long and remarkable career.

Season 43 MBA Finals Game 4...Philadelphia at San Jose

POINTS PREVENTED BY QUARTERS
Philadelphia 5 - 7 - 5 - 0 Total=17
San Jose..... 0 - 2 - 0 - 6 Total=8

TOP PLAYERS, POINTS PREVENTED
1. Hunk R. Down, San Jose 8
2. Colquitt Croix, Philadelphia 7
3. Akbar Zagobia, Philadelphia 6


PHILADELPHIA 82, SAN JOSE 72
CHAMPIONSHIP COMES HOME TO ROOST IN PHILLY
SAN JOSE -- Following a franchise-record eight seasons without an MBA title, the Season 43 version of the proud Philadelphia tradition nailed down the 16th championship in team history, besting the San Jose Fighting Amigos 82-72 on the latter's home court.

The Phobia won this Finals match-up 3 games to 1 following a 2 games to 0 thrashing of the Oklahoma City Lariats in the Semifinals.

Fast starters throughout the playoffs, Philadelphia got off to a 21-14 first-quarter lead, courtesy of 6-11 forward Shwayze's 8 points and a 3-pointer at the horn by Poodle "Stix" Jackson. Shwayze was playing for the injured Sloppy Dollop, who had replaced him in the starting lineup after coming over from Oklahoma City as a free agent in the draft.

The Phobia seemed to have things in hand at the half, leading 44-31, but San Jose, led by shooting guard Dayshotta Leo, closed to within 6 in the third before finally ending up trailing by 9 going into the fourth.

The Fighting Amigos had their hometown fans going bonkers when they pulled within 5, 64-59 with 41 time units remaining. Then, with 26 left, Leo's 3-point play drew the home team to within 4 points, 70-66, with 26 ticks left. They would never get closer.

A medium jumper with 10 remaining by the Phobia's other key off-season acquisition, Akbar Zagobia, put Philly up 10 and all but sealed the deal.

Both teams shot over 60 percent in this final game, but as it was all season long, defense was the difference for the number one defending team in the MBA, as Philadelphia more than doubled the Amigos in points prevented.

And now, the only question remains, where do we attach the 16th championship basketball on the Philadelphia envelope?

PLAYER OF GAME
Playing against a lesser defender in Nomo Momo, third-year Philadelphia forward POODLE 'STIX' JACKSON exploited his man for a game-high 23 points and his first POG of the playoffs. The designation gave the Phobia the distinction of having all five of its regular starters come away from this championship run with one POG each. The 6-7 Jackson was brilliant in this game, going 11 for 15 from the floor, including a back-breaking 3-pointer to end the first quarter and a slam dunk along the way. He basically destroyed Momo. Additionally, Jackson led everyone in the game with 6 rebounds, led his team with 2 blocked shots, and added 3 assists and 1 steal.

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMERS
-- Philadelphia's team MVP Colquitt Croix was outstanding in this, his first championship performance. The 6-2 point guard directed his team's offense with a game-high 7 assists (tied) while scoring 19 points. He and YourMajesty Lumpkins went toe-to-toe throughout the game, but the difference was in Croix's defense, where he prevented 7 points by Lumpkins, good for the second-best performance in the game. Three times he stopped Lumpkins on made 3-pointers (Lumpkins went into the medium zone to hit a duece on the first denied trey).

-- Like his counterpart, YourMajesty Lumpkins was outstanding leading his team's attack, tying Croix for a game-high in assists with 7. He scored 14 points, grabbed 1 rebound and had 1 steal before fouling out with 3 time units left in the game.

-- Despite being guarded by defensive ace Akbar Zagobia, who erased 6 of his points, San Jose shooting guard Dayshotta Leo burned the nets for a team-high 22 points, many in the face of Zagobia's tough D. Leo also led his team in rebounds with 4, had 1 assist and 1 blocked shot.

-- San Jose center Hunk R. Down provided his team with all 8 of its prevented points, which was the top mark in the game. In doing so, the big 7-foot All-MBA pivot had a game-high 4 blocked shots, scored 14 points, grabbed 3 boards and dished 1 assist.

NEXT UP: Playoff stat leaders and the announcement of the Playoff MVP.

Season 43 MBA Finals Game 3...San Jose at Philadelphia

POINTS PREVENTED BY QUARTERS
San Jose.... 2 - 4 - 2 - 2 Total=10
Philadelphia 2 - 5 - 2 - 0 Total=9

TOP PLAYERS POINTS PREVENTED
1. Carpaccio, San Jose 6
2. Down, San Jose 4
2. Zagobia, Philadelphia 4

TURNOVERS CAUSED BY QUARTERS
San Jose.... 0 - 3 - 1 - 2 Total=6
Philadelphia 2 - 1 - 2 - 1 Total=6

TOP PLAYERS IN TURNOVERS CAUSED
1. Jackson, Philadelphia 4
2. Leo, San Jose 2
2. Momo, San Jose 2


San Jose 80, Philadelphia 64
LEFT FOR DEAD, AMIGOS FIGHT WAY BACK TO BIG VICTORY
PHILADELPHIA -- With a 23-10 Philadelphia first-quarter lead, this potential title-clincher looked like more of the same dominance by the home team Phobia. But the San Jose Fighting Amigos, led by point guard YourMajesty Lumpkins woke up and took a chunk out of that 13-point lead in the second quarter, and suddenly, for the first time in these Finals, we had a game on our hands.

The lead was reduced to 5 points at the half and remained that way going into the final quarter, when, led by Lumpkins, the Fighting Amigos exploded for 36 points to win going away, 80-64.

Philadelphia now leads the best of five Finals 2 games to 1.

San Jose took their first lead of the game (and the series for that matter) 51-49 on a Lumpkins trey, and by the time the silky smooth sixth-year man was done with a 9-point barrage, the Amigos led 57-51, never to be headed again.

The sea change in momentum during that run included a playoff-ending injury to Phobia forward Sloppy Dollop with 54 time units remaining in the contest and San Jose ahead 54-51. Dollop (out for 7 games in the first injury of his career) had entered the game as one of three possible Playoff MVP candidates. The Phobia now lose his services for however many games remain in this Finals series. He was replaced on the roster by Vermin Supreme, who just returned to the cut pile from Chicago, where he was picked up but not used after the Gale suffered a forward injury.

Tyler must now determine who he wants to replace Dollop in the starting lineup...Shwayze, Ape Con Myth or Vermin Supreme...then put the other two in substitution order for the next game. (I'm assuming it will be the order listed above).

That next game will be played in San Jose, where the Fighting Amigos lost by just 7 ... 75-68. But this time, Philly will be without Dollop.

Things just got a lot more interesting.

PLAYER OF GAME
After scoring just 6 points in Game 2 of the Finals, San Jose point guard YOURMAJESTY LUMPKINS shook off his scoring drought and poured in a game-high 30 points, a majority of which came in the second half. The 6-2 Lumpkins, who led the MBA in 3-point shooting, fired in 6 of 7 long ball attempts during his 9 for 12 effort from the floor. He added 6 free throws in as many tries while dishing a team-high 3 assists as he dominated Colquitt Croix. Lumpkins was the guy Tyler pointed to as a possible catalyst for the Amigos, and he was right on in that scenario.

Other 20-Plus GVP Performer
-- The only other player in this game to reach 20 GVP was Philly forward Poodle "Stix" Jackson who scored 13 points, and topped everyone in three other categories, getting game-highs in rebounds (5), steals (2) and blocked shots (3). Jackson also topped all players in causing turnovers, with 4.

MBA FINALS GAME 2 ... Philadelphia at San Jose

Philadelphia 75, San Jose 68
PHOBIA TEES UP 16th CHAMPIONSHIP
SAN JOSE -- The Philadelphia Phobia demonstrated their team depth and "The Pocket Pivot" Diss Reflexia registered the seventh triple-double of his career as they bested San Jose 75-68 on the home court of the Fighting Amigos.

Although this turned out to be the closest anyone has come to beating the Phobia in the playoffs, the game was really never in doubt, even when Phobia star guard Colquitt Croix and running mate Akbar Zagobia were in early foul trouble (with Croix fouling out for the second time in four playoff games). The dominance barely wavered, with substitute Philadelphia guards Red Reparee (10 points) and Chief Keef (9 points) actually out-scoring the two starters 19 to 15.

San Jose coach Augustus McCrae will try to shake up the lineup by replacing Mike Hunt with Nomo Momo in what will likely be the final game of the Season 43 campaign as the teams return to the City of Brotherly Fear.

PLAYER OF GAME
Making a strong bid for his second Playoff MVP award, 6-7 Philadelphia center DISS REFLEXIA locked horns again in a spirited battle with All-MBA center Hunk R. Down and emerged with the seventh triple-double of his illustrious career and the first POG of this post season. Reflexia tied for game-high scoring honors with 18 points, and was high man in the game in both rebounds (8) and assists (5), blocking 1 shot. The retiring star was 9 for 11 from the floor, the only misses being a blocked shot by Down and a 3-point attempt by Reflexia. He also slammed home a pair.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- San Jose shooting guard Dayshotta Leo dominated his opposite, Akbar Zagobia, scoring 14 points, getting 3 boards, tying for game-high blocked shots honors with 2 and leading everyone with 2 steals.

-- San Jose fans got to see another donnybrook in the middle between hometown hero Hunk R. Down and Diss Reflexia. Down tied Reflexia for game-high scoring honors with 18 points and led his team in rebounds with 6. He also had 1 assist and 11 rebound.

ALL TIME TRIPLE-DOUBLE CAREER LEADERS

16 -- Jimsy Redfern

11 -- Tom "the Bomb" Kondla

9 -- Marcus Pettis
9 -- Beezow Bop-Bop

8 -- Max Payne

7 -- Diss Reflexia
7 -- Tug Hershorts
7 -- J.D. Jedreat

S43 MBA Finals Game 1...San Jose at Philadelphia

Philadelphia 88, San Jose 64
RELENTLESS PHOBIA CHURNS TOWARD TITLE
PHILADELPHIA -- This looks like it could be a long/short championship series for the San Jose Fighting Amigos. Long because three straight whoopings seems like an eternity, and short because three games is the minimum time a best of five title series can last.

For the third straight post-season game and the first of this Finals, the Philadelphia Phobia dominated its opponents from start to finish. Coach Stu Nod's charges have now played 12 playoff quarters and have trailed in none of them.

They rocketed out of the gate before an appreciative home crowd in Game 1 of the Finals and led by 10, 26-16 at the end of one quarter, then increased that lead every quarter thereafter. Their league-leading defense was on display throughout, with San Jose making just 49.1 percent of its shots.

Phobia small forward Poodle "Stix" Jackson got his team off and running in the first with a perfect 4 of 4 from the field (2 of 2 from deep) for 10 points. Then, to put salt in the Amigos' wound, rarely used Philly forward Ape Con Myth came in for a short period of time and hit three straight hoops. It was all downhill from there for the visitors.

It will be interesting to see if San Jose can put up a better fight on its own home court, But this Phobia team seems poised to secure Philly title No. 16.

PLAYER OF GAME
Philadelphia point guard COLQUITT CROIX destroyed his opposite YourMajesty Lumpkins in this title series opener, scoring a game-high 26 points to just 12 for Lumpkins. Croix was 10 for 15 from the floor, including 3 for 5 from deep and 3 for 4 from the foul stripe. He also pulled down 2 rebounds and registered 1 assist. Not too shabby for the fourth-year star's first finals game.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- The two best centers in the MBA played to a virtual standstill in this opener, with Philadelphia's Diss Reflexia scoring 16 points, getting 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 blocked shot.

-- Philly forward Sloppy Dollop continued his excellent post-season with 16 points, a team-high 5 boards (tied), a game-high 2 steals and 1 assist. He dominated Egg Yolk Carpaccio throughout the contest.

-- The other Philadelphia forward, Poodle "Stix" Jackson tickled the twine for 18 points, tied Dollop for team-high rebounding honors with 5, blocked a team-high 2 shots and recorded 1 steal.

-- Although his shot attempts and scoring output was limited to 10 points, All-MBA center HUNK R. DOWN of San Jose celebrated his first Finals appearance by putting together the first triple-double of his career. The 7-footer led everyone in rebounds with 6 and swatted away a game-high 6 shots as well. He also added 1 assist.

-- Small forward Mike Hunt of San Jose led his club in scoring with 17 points while grabbing 4 boards and adding 1 assist and 1 steal.

S43 MBA Playoffs Deciding Game 3...Chicago at San Jose

San Jose 83, Chicago 71
AT LONG LAST, FIGHTING AMIGOS EARN TRIP TO FINALS
SAN JOSE -- Close friends are punching each other in the face tonight in San Jose in an expression of joy that would be unexplainable elsewhere.
The Fighting Amigos are going back to the MBA Finals for the first time in 14 seasons after besting the Chicago Gale 83-71 in the deciding Game 3 of this hard-fought semifinals.

They finally got over the hump.

This will be the fifth time San Jose has reached the finals, and it will be the first time the Fighting Amigos will appear in the championship series without the best player in their history, Saggital Occlusal, who led the team to its lone title in his rookie season and into the Finals three more times before hanging up the proverbial index card jockstrap.

Points Prevented Per Quarter
Chicago 0 - 3 - 0 - 2 Total=5
S. Jose 4 - 2 - 4 - 4 Total=14

Top Individuals in Points Prevented
1. Dayshotta Leo, San Jose 4
2. Santo Thomas, Chicago 3
(6 tied with 2)

PLAYER OF GAME
After popping in a trey on the first time unit of the game, San Jose shooting guard DAYSHOTTA LEO went on to a huge Player of the Game performance that spurred his club to victory and into the MBA Finals. The 6-5, five-season veteran tied for top scoring honors in the game, scoring 22 points on 10 of 14 shooting, including 1 for 1 from beyond the arc and 1 for 1 at the foul stripe. Leo also led his team with 5 rebounds, tied for game-high in steals with 2 thefts and tied for game-high in blocked shots with 3 while registering the highest number of points prevented in the game. He totally dominated Norman Conquest. Some question Leo's shady past, but this dry cleaning delivery boy came up huge in this big game.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- Battling foul trouble all game long as well as the defensive efforts of Chicago's King Schmeckpepr, All-MBA center Hunk R. Down of San Jose still made a big impact in the clincher. Down scored 16 points, grabbed 3 boards, had 1 steal, 1 assist and 1 blocked shot to help get his team into the finals.

-- San Jose small forward Mike Hunt stepped in for the injured Blue "Rondo" Alaturk early in the season and has been a huge contributor throughout the campaign. In this game he scored 12 points, had 3 boards, 3 assists and tied for most blocked shots with 3.

-- You can't ask too much more of the royal pivot, King Schmeckpeper, who stepped in for the injured Yo Noid and played the post like a mighty mighty monarch. The 6-11 Schmeckpepr scored 18 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, had 1 steal and 1 assist while battling a pair of All-MBA opponents.

-- With fellow forward Pietro Destroyer out with injury, Chicago needed a big game from power forward Bill Cull, and they got it. The 6-8 Cull hit from medium, short and low all game long to finish tied with Leo for top scoring honors with 22. He also pulled down 3 boards and had 1 assist.



NEXT UP: The Finals
The best in the West faces the Beast from the East as San Jose (8-2, 2-1) travels to Philadelphia (9-1, 2-0) to take on the favored Phobia. The teams did not meet during the regular season. They feature the top two defensive teams in the MBA, with the Phobia yielding just 67 points per game and San Jose giving up just 71.2. San Jose is the league's top rebounding team, with Philly ranking third. Philadelphia scored 75.2 per game (7th) while San Jose averaged 77.6 (third). Both teams were 8-0 in their respective divisions.
These two franchises have met twice before in the MBA finals...in Season 29 when the Phobia won in five games and again the following season, with Philly outlasting the Amigos 3 games to 1.

S43 MBA Playoffs semifinals Game 2...Philadelphia at Oklahoma City

Philadelphia 86, Oklahoma City 74
PHOBIA HEAD TO FINALS WITH EASY SWEEP OF LARIATS
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Philadelphia Phobia is taking aim at its 16th MBA championship, having dispatched the over-achievers from Oklahoma City two games to none.

Although the second victory over the Lariats was not the 31-point trashing Philadelphia laid on them in the initial playoff contest, the outcome was never in dispute, with the Phobia taking an 11-2 lead early before finally settling for the 86-74 triumph.

The win was accompanied by a playoff record (tied) 21 assists for Philly, a mark first set in Season 18 by the Phobia against Dallas and matched in Season 39 by Charleston, also against Dallas.

The winning road warriors zipped passes all over the court, with guards Akbar Zagobia (8 assists) and substitute point man Red Reparee (7 assists) running the offense flawlessly in view of the virtual absence of Philadelphia star Colquitt Croix, who spent almost all of the game in foul trouble and eventually fouled out.

Both teams shot above-average for the game, with Philly at 63.8 percent and Oklahoma City at 61.5.

The game marked the end of the career of one-time Phobia player Mel A. Noma, who will be retiring for Oklahoma City after winning his second assist title this past season.

The Phobia now await the winner of the other semifinal series between San Jose and Chicago, which currently has the Fighting Amigos and Gale tied one game each. Philadelphia will be going after its first championship since Season 33 when it won its mind-boggling fifth consecutive title.

This will be the 22nd time the Phobia have appeared in the MBA Finals, which is more than half of the league's championship series. And don't forget, the Phobia did not even exist in Season 1, coming in as an expansion franchise in Season 2. Their last two finals appearances were in Seasons 37 and 38, where they fell short to Seattle and Chicago, respectively.

PLAYER OF THE GAME
Normally content with playing smothering defense and grabbing rebounds, Philadelphia two guard AKBAR ZAGOBIA did those things and more in this Semifinals clincher. Playing in front of his old home crowd, Zagobia registered the third triple-double of his career, scoring 17 points, pulling down a team-high (tied) 7 rebounds and distributing a game-high 8 assists. He also added 1 steal to go with the 4 thefts he had in Game 1. The 6-4, fourth-year man was 6 for 11 from the floor and 5 for 9 from the foul line.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- Retiring Philadelphia center Diss Reflexia was virtually unstoppable near the bucket, getting 19 points, grabbing 2 boards, netting 2 assists and blocking 1 shot in the win.

-- Philadelphia power forward Sloppy Dollop followed his 24-point POG performance of Game 1 with a team-high 20-point effort in this game. The former Lariat also grabbed 5 rebounds and had 1 assist.

-- Second-year power forward Goodbar "Muddy" Masterson of Oklahoma City matched Dollop's effort with 15 points, a game-high 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 blocked shot.

-- All-MBA forward Bang-Bang Reiner concluded his brilliant fifth season with an 18-point effort that included 1 assist and 1 blocked shot.

-- It took until the final opportunity of his seventh season for Oklahoma City guard Cremofsum Yunguy to show what he could do with extended playing time, and given the chance, the longtime cut pile guy gave a little hope for the Lariats in the future and the index cards pining away in the discard envelope. With Mel A. Noma in constant foul trouble, Yunguy came into the game and kept his team within shouting distance, scoring a game-high 26 points, getting 2 rebounds and 1 assist. Yunguy spent five long years amidst the rejects, but maybe Oklahoma City has a YourMajesty Lumpkins-type success story on its hands.

NEXT UP: The decider. Chicago goes back to San Jose minus key starting forward Pietro Destroyer (injured) in Game 3 of this semifinal series.