Season 54 Featured Game No. 8... Charleston at Dallas

DALLAS 89, CHARLESTON 70

DEMONS CLINCH FIRST

DALLAS -- The victory apparatus that is the Dallas Demons became the first team in Season 54 to clinch a playoff berth with an 89-70 dismantling of the visiting Charleston Mountaineers, assuring the home team of its third consecutive first-place finish in the East Division.

The two-time defending champions also remain unbeaten at 8-0, with just Los Angeles and Oklahoma City standing in the way of the MBA's fifth perfect regular season. 

Charleston stayed within reach of the powerhouse Demons for three quarters before finally unraveling to the talented quintet in the final stanza, as the Whiz Kids, featuring five double digit scorers and two triple-doubles, pulled steadily away.

POINTS PREVENTED BY QUARTERS

Charleston...2...0...0...3...Total=5

Dallas..........2...6...2...2...Total=12

Points Prevented Leaders

1. Pete Marzano, Dallas...6

2. Satan Israel, Dallas...4

3. Seeyalater Scronto, Charleston...3

TURNOVERS CAUSED BY QUARTERS

Charleston...1...1...2...0...Total=5

Dallas..........1...0...1...0...Total=2

Turnovers Caused Leaders

1. Johnny Bananas, Charleston...2

(5 others with 1 each)

PLAYER OF THE GAME

30 GVP...The 10th MBA player this season to record his second POG (nobody has managed 3 thus far) is Dallas' outstanding rookie guard VICIOUS HICK, who used this playoff-clinching victory to snag the first triple-double of his career. The 6-2 point guard scored 16 points, grabbed a game-high 8 rebounds and handed out a game-high 6 assists. He was 7 for 10 from the floor, 1 for 3 from deep and 1 for 2 from the foul line. 

Other 20-plus GVP performers

25 GVP...Dallas small forward Pete "The Steakman" Marzano...20 points...3 blocks...2 rebounds

24 GVP...Dallas Hall of Fame guard Juzan Djinn...16 points...5 rebounds...2 assists...1 block

23 GVP...Dallas center Biggus Dickus...second triple-double of career...13 points...5 rebounds...5 assists

23 GVP...Charleston point guard Seeyalater Scronto...17 points...3 assists...2 blocks...1 steal

23 GVP...Charleston center Johnny Bananas...16 points...3 rebounds...2 blocks...2 assists

20 GVP...Charleston small forward Piping Plover...17 points...2 rebounds...1 blocked shot

MBA Standings … Season 54

EAST DIVISION

DALLAS………………….8-0 (clinched playoffs and first place)

OKLAHOMA CITY…..5-2

CHARLESTON………. 4-4

PHILADELPHIA………2-5

MILWAUKEE……….. 0-7 (eliminated)

 

WEST DIVISION

SACRAMENTO… 6-2

LOS ANGELES….. 5-3

SAN JOSE…………3-4

SEATTLE…………..3-5 (eliminated)

GILLETTE…………. 2-6 (eliminated)

 

NEXT UP: San Jose traverses to Oklahoma City in this important cross-over contest. The Fighting Amigos are clinging to hopes of a playoff spot and Oklahoma City could really put some distance between themselves and Charleston for the second spot in the East. 

 

With the two-time defending champion Demons from Dallas currently at 7-0, it's appropriate to look back on the four teams that made it all the way through the regular season to go unbeaten at 10-0. 

The first two teams to do so failed to win the championship, and only one team ever ran the MBA gauntlet to finish 15-0.

This Dallas team has a good a chance to join these four teams and even go totally unbeaten. They must get past Charleston (4-3) who took them to overtime in their last meeting, Los Angeles (5-3) and finally, Oklahoma City (5-2), who they squeezed by for a 90-86 triumph. That's a pretty tough road.

Also, Milwaukee, currently 0-7, has a shot of joining the three teams who went 0-10 for the season:

Seattle in Season 5

Milwaukee in Season 43

Kansas City in Season 47

They will, however, be getting back probably their best player Ehhy Table for their last three games...Philadelphia (2-5), Charleston (4-3) and Seattle (3-5). We predict at least one win out of that schedule.

Anyway, here are the four clubs who went 10-0.  

Season 6 PHILADELPHIA PHOBIA 

- 10-0 regular season; lost first game of playoffs to Charleston, then won next two; swept by Milwaukee in Finals

- sandwiched between two championships ... won titles in Seasons 5, 7 & 8

- All-MBA players were: guard Uncle Bob Masterson, center Alex Pal, forward Rowdy Ron Clutch

- Five starters, plus top sub all eventually made Hall of Fame...Masterson, Pal, Clutch, guard Oscar Mudcat, forward Raisin Sport, top sub guard Stu nod. 

- Sport led the league in blocks with 26

- Mudcat led the league in 3-point shooting (70%)

- nod made the All-Rookie team

- team led league in scoring at 81.9 ppg

- led in defense at 65.5 ppg (+16.4 differential)

- led in rebounds at 22.7 per game

- led in blocks with 74 (a record at the time)

- Pal led playoffs in rebounds at 6 per game

- Mudcat led playoffs in steals with 4

LINEUP WAS

G – Uncle Bob Masterson (Hall of Fame)

G – Oscar Mudcat (Hall of Fame)

C – Alex Pal (Hall of Fame)

F – Raisin Sport (Hall of Fame)

F – Rowdy Ron Clutch (Hall of Fame)

Key sub – guard Stu Nod (Hall of Fame)

Season 18 Oklahoma City Lariats

-10-0 regular season; swept by Milwaukee in Semifinals

- Hall of Fame center Diamond Dallas Paige won league MVP honors in his final season

- Paige tied Chicago center Achilles Heel for scoring title at 19.8 ppg

- Paige led league with 8 rebounds per game, which is still a record

- Forward Tersio Tataruga made All-Rookie team

- team led league in scoring with 79.4 ppg

- team led league in rebounding with 24.1 per game

LINEUP WAS

G – Streetcar Johnny Masterson

G – Mamadou Zongo (Hall of Fame)

C – Diamond Dallas Paige (Hall of Fame)

F – Briscoe Darling

F – Tersio Tataruga

Season 42 Charleston Mountaineers

- first 10-0 team to go on and win the championship, beating Dallas in Finals, going 5-1

- Hall of Fame guard Naf Naf was league MVP for 6th consecutive, and last time

- Naf Naf lone All-MBA player of team

- Naf Naf led league in scoring with 25.3 ppg (6th of 7 consecutive)

- Naf Naf led league in 3-point shooting at 68.2% with 60 made (5th & final time)

- substitute forward Sheik Yerbouti made All-Rookie team

- team led league in scoring, averaging 91.8 ppg (still a record)

- team led league in shooting percentage at 63.1%

- team led league in assists with 13.7 per game

- team led league in steals with 23

- team led league in blocked shots with 76

- Naf Naf was top playoff scorer at 20.7 ppg (tied with Bingo Bango of Dallas)

- Pietro Destroyer was tops in playoff assists at 3.2 per game

- Bezow Bop-Bop tops in playoff blocked shots with 15

- Bop-Bop tops in playoff steals with 7

- Naf Naf tops in playoff 3-point shooting qt 58.3% with 28 made

LINEUP WAS

G – Naf Naf (Hall of Fame)

G – Beezow Bop-Bop (Hall of Fame)

C – J.J. Gargantuan (Hall of Fame)

F – Pietro Destroyer

F – Wawa Wewa

Season 47 Dallas Demons

- first & only MBA team to run the table at 15-0, sweeping Los Angeles in Semis, then Sacramento in Finals for back-to-back titles

- 5th straight (and last) MVP award for Chip Battoe

- 2nd straight (and last) Playoff MVP award for Chip Battoe

- Battoe only Dallas player on All-MBA team

- Battoe leads league in blocks with 44...5th consecutive season of what would be six in a row

- team led league in scoring at 80.1 ppg

- team led league in defense allowing 61.8 ppg

- team led league in steals with 38

- team led league in blocks with 92

- Battoe led in playoff scoring at 17.8 ppg (2nd in a row)

- GoTo Grot led in playoff rebounding with 6.6 rpg ( 2nd in a row)

- Battoe led in playoff blocked shots with 35 (4th time in a row)

LINEUP WAS

G – Louie Subgum

G – Meatpants Masterson

C – GoTo Grot

F – Chip Battoe (Hall of Fame)

F – Tiger Masterson

Season 54 Featured Game No. 7...Los Angeles at Sacramento

SACRAMENTO 75, LOS ANGELES 67

R-DOGS TAKE OVER FIRST

SACRAMENTO -- The amazing run of the Sacramento River Dogs (now 5-2) continued tonight with a 75-67 victory over visiting Los Angeles; a win that gives the R-Dogs sole possession of first place in the West.

The victors were aided by the second foul out this season by L.A. rookie sensation Pinky Toe, who was subsequently held to 10 points below his league-leading average coming into the game.

The Big One (4-3) is still in good shape for a playoff spot, but is looking down the barrel of season-ending games against Dallas and these same River Dogs again.

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

26 GVP...Earning back-to-back POGs is Sacramento second-year guard KARMA CHAMELEON, who follows his game-high 24 pt effort in the win agaiinst San Jose with a game-high 22-point output in this big triumph tonight. The 6-4 Chameleon was moved to the point to hopefully slow down Toe, but played much of the game in his more familiar two spot after getting three fouls. Chameleon was 9 for 15 from the floor (1 for 2 from deep, 3 for 4 from the foul line, 1 slam dunk), while also pulling down a team-high 4 rebounds.

AND

26 GVP...Second-year 6-8 power forward FUDGE PIES DELI of Los Angeles led his team with 17 points despite being guarded by defensive ace Kevin Duran-Duran of Sacramento. Deli was 7 for 12 from the floor, including 1 for 2 from deep and 2 for 2 from the foul stripe. He added 1 dunk. He tied for game-high in rebounds with 5 while posting game-high in steals with 2. He added 1 blocked shot and 1 assist to his fine compilation.

Other 20-Plus GVP performers

24 GVP...Sacramento power forward Kevin Duran-Duran...14 points...3 blocks...3 rebounds...3 assists...1 steal

21 GVP...Los Angeles rookie guard Pinky Toe...15 points...3 rebounds...3 assists

MBA Standings … Season 54

EAST DIVISION

DALLAS………………….6-0

OKLAHOMA CITY…..4-2

CHARLESTON………. 4-2

PHILADELPHIA………2-4

MILWAUKEE……….. 0-6

 

WEST DIVISION

SACRAMENTO… 5-2

LOS ANGELES….. 4-3

SAN JOSE…………3-4

SEATTLE…………..2-4

GILLETTE…………. 2-5

 

NEXT UP: It’s Charleston at Seattle in a cross-over for the next contest. The Mountaineers are favored, and another win would keep them firmly in the race among the elites of the East. Seattle desperately needs an upset to remain relevant in the West.

Season 54 Featured Game No. 6...Dallas at Charleston

 Dallas 92, Charleston 88 (OVERTIME)

WHIZ KIDS HANG ON IN OT

CHARLESTON -- The Dallas Demons (now 6-0) were pushed to the limit for the third time this season, but once again emerged from an overtime brawl victorious; this time 92-88 against Charleston.

This was a donnybrook from start to finish, with the surprising home team Mountaineers demonstrating that their record (now 4-2) is no fluke. 

The fourth quarter was classic, featuring 15 times that the lead either changed hands or was tied. The game was sent into overtime when Dallas guard Juzan Djinn got himself open in the short zone and hit a game-tying shot at the buzzer.

It was Djinn's clutch 3-point bomb with 4 time units remaining that put the game out of reach for Charleston.

Other close calls for Dallas this season were a 3-point overtime win against Philly and a 4-point victory against Oklahoma City.  

PLAYER OF THE GAME

37 GVP...He's the biggest reason for Charleston's surprise party this season, and the Mountaineers needed him to come up huge (which he did) in order to be competitive against powerful Dallas. The 5-11 point guard SEEYALATER SCRONTO scored a game-high 29 points on 11 of 19 shooting, connecting on 3 of 6 from downtown in a game in which he out-classed highly regarded rookie Vicious Hick. Scronto was also 4 of 5 from the foul line, stole a game-high 3, assisted 3 times and pulled down 1 rebound. The third-year man even blocked 1 shot.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

36 GVP...Dallas shooting guard Juzan Djinn...24 points...7 assists...4 rebounds...1 blocked shot.

28 GVP...Dallas power forward Satan Israel...25 points...3 rebounds.

28 GVP...Charleston center Johnny Bananas...18 points...5 blocked shots...4 rebounds...1 assist

28 GVP...Charleston small forward Piping Plover...20 points...4 rebounds...2 blockes shots...2 assists

24 GVP...Dallas small forward Pete "the Steakman" Marzano...10 points...7 rebounds...4 blocked shots...2 steals...1 assist.

24 GVP...Charleston shooting guard Splash Gordon...14 points...5 rebounds...4 assists...1 steal.

MBA Standings … Season 54

EAST DIVISION

DALLAS………………….6-0

OKLAHOMA CITY…..4-2

CHARLESTON………. 4-2

PHILADELPHIA………2-4

MILWAUKEE……….. 0-6

 

WEST DIVISION

SAN JOSE…………3-2

LOS ANGELES….. 3-2

SACRAMENTO… 3-2

SEATTLE…………..2-3

GILLETTE…………. 1-5

NEXT UP: Los Angeles and prize rookie Pinky Toe at Seattle battle for one of the two playoff positions in the hotly contested West.

54th MBA All Star Game

 EAST 87, WEST 71

EAST WINS IN A WALK

MILWAUKEE -- For the second season in a row, the newest member of the Hall of Fame was the MVP of the All Star Game, as Dallas star Juzan Djinn duplicated last season's performance by Crentis Dentist.

The East increased its series lead to 34-20 in All Star competition.

The big matchup of the game was rookie sensation Pinky Toe of Los Angeles going head-to-head with Djinn, the pride of Dallas. They went into the break 1-2 in both scoring and MVP points, with Toe holding the edge in both categories. But Djinn gave the rookie a taste of what it's like coming up against a Hall of Fame defender as the 27 point per game leading scorer was held to just 9. Meanwhile, it was Djinn who tallied 27 in the dominant performance. 

The one casualty of the game was an injury to Vinny Zazeech of San Jose, who will miss one game. The Amigos picked up Boney Skelletrino to replace Zazeech on the roster. 

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

33 GVP...The league's newest Hall of Fame player, JUZAN DJINN of two-time defending champion Dallas, grabbed MVP honors with a team-high 27-point performance in which he dominated his main opponent at the moment for league MVP, Pinky Toe of Los Angeles. Djinn scored 13 of his 27 points in the first quarter. For the game he was 11 for 19 (2 for 7 from deep) and 3 for 3 from the foul line. He grabbed 2 rebounds, handed out 4 assists and tied for game-high in blocked shots with 2. He is just the third Dallas player to ever win the All Star Game MVP and the first since Chip Battoe turned the trick in Season 47. The first from Dallas was Max Payne in Season 30. 

Other 20-plus GVP performers

31 GVP...Sacramento cut pile refugee Anthony "Fish Face" Finseca continues to defy the naysayers, scoring a game-high 28 points with 3 rebounds.

28 GVP...Charleston mainstay guard Splash Gordon...15 points...game-high 6 assists...game-high 3 steals...3 rebounds...1 blocked shot.

24 GVP...Philadelphia forward Turk Attaturk...23 points...1 blocked shot.

NEXT UP: The second half of the season begins with a cross-over pitting Oklahoma City at Gillette. The home team Humps will be getting back star center Blob Dylan and are desperate to get a win to stop their 3-game losing streak that has them mired in last in the West. They are not likely to get it, however, with the Lariats, third-place in the East, also needing a victory to keep pace with Dallas and Charleston'

The Featured Game for this bracket is, in fact, Dallas at Charleston...the third game in the bracket.  

Juzan Djinn to Hall of Fame

Star Dallas guard Juzan Djinn, by virtue of making his fourth All-Star Game, thus earning his 10th award, has become the 59th member of the MBA Hall of Fame. 

Currently in his fifth season, he is the first member of the rich Season 50 rookie guard crop to earn Hall of Fame distinction, having earned four All Star Game honors, 2 All-MBA stars, championship rings in Season 52 and Season 53 and Playoff MVP honors in both Season 52 and Season 53. 

He is the eigth Dallas player to earn HOF status, the others being Chip Battoe, Mamadou Zongo, Rip Slamjam, Tom "the Bomb" Kondla, Joey Two-Tones, Shooter Flatch and Gulemon Mon-Mon. He is the third Dallas guard to make the Hall, following Zongo and Two-Tones. 

Djinn will be one of three active Hall of Fame players, the others being center J.J. Gargantuan of Milwaukee and forward Crentis Dentist of Oklahoma City. 

 

Season 54 All Star Game Rosters

ALL STAR TIDBITS

-- This marks the third season in a row that Milwaukee did not have an All Star representative...and it's on their home court this time.

-- Two rookies made All Star Game...both in the West...One who didn't was highly publicized Dallas rookie Vicious Hick, who was competing in the toughest category to make the team (East guards). 

-- Players who did not make it even though 20 or more GVP...Hick (20.8), Seeyalater Scronto of Charleston (20.0) and Billie Bauer of Gillette (20.0).

-- Two retirees playing in their last All Star Game...Sky Masterson and Charles Broccoli, both of San Jose

-- Seven first time All Stars...most surprising Fish Face Finseca, a cut pile guy from Sacramento; Louie Lunkerson, a 17.4 GVP center from Los Angeles; Satan Israel, Dallas forward, not because he's not good, but because it took him until his fourth season to make the All Star Game.

-- Conspicuous by their absence:

Vicious Hick of Dallas

Kopi Luwak of Dallas 

Pete Marzano of Dallas

J.J. Gargantuan of Milwaukee

Sheetrock Hudson of Gillette

Blob Dylan of Gillette (injured...accounting for how Lunkerson made the team)