Season 57 SemiFinals Game 2...Seattle at Oklahoma City

OKLAHOMA CITY 91, SEATTLE 72

IT'S AN ALL-EAST FINALS

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The surprising Oklahoma City Lariats made it an all-East Division Finals for the sixth consecutive season as they turned what appeared to be another 1-point barn-burner entering the fourth quarter into a blowout, coming away with a 91-72 victory and 2-0 sweep of the Seattle Stampede.

POINTS PREVENTED BY QUARTERS

Seattle...9...0...4...2  Total=15

OKC.....5...0...4...6   Total=15

Tops in Points Prevented

1. Hilbee "the Skinny German" Juggleboy, Seattle...7

2. Ol' Roy, Oklahoma City...6

TURNOVERS CAUSED BY QUARTERS

Seattle...2...2...3...0  Total=7

OKC......2...2...5...4  Total=13

Tops in Turnovers Caused

1. Oblio Assbag, Oklahoma City...4

1. Poop-Rupiah 3000, Oklahoma City...4

1. Kevin Duran-Duran, Oklahoma City...4

PLAYER OF THE GAME

35 GVP...Third-year standout center of the Oklahoma City Lariats, POOP-RUPIAH 3000, came up big again in a decisive contest, putting up game-high numbers in points (24), rebounds (7), steals (2) and turnovers caused (4) as the 6-9 pride of the franchise dominated Laughing Boy Lasso of Seattle. The 6-9 3000 was 11 for 13 from the floor, delivering 4 slam dunks. Tied for the regular season free-throw title with his teammate Duran-Duran, he went 2 for 3 from the charity stripe, adding 1 assist and 1 blocked shot. He'll square off in his first Finals in a power match with All-MBA pivot Biggus Dickus of Dallas. The two fought for the foil star all season long, finishing 1-2 as the best pair of centers in the MBA.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

31 GVP...Seattle's All-MBA power forward Eric A. Crocidale...23 points (6 slams)...5 rebounds...1 assist...1 steal...1 blocked shot.

28 GVP...Oklahoma City's power forward Kevin Duran-Duran...22 points...3 rebounds...2 steals...1 assist...4 turnovers caused.

25 GVP...Oklahoma City small forward L.S. Island...21 points...2 rebounds...1 assist...1 blocked shot.

24 GVP...Seattle's All-MBA shooting guard Hilbee "the Skinny German" Juggleboy...12 points...6 blocked shots...3 rebounds...3 assists...7 points prevented.

20 GVP...Seattle's Rookie of the Year small forward J.J. "Jake" Pickle...11 points...5 rebounds...3 blocked shots...1 assist.

NEXT UP: Game 1 of the 57th MBA Finals with Oklahoma City at Dallas. The Mighty Demons are seeking to add to their already impressive list of accomplishments with an unprecedented sixth straight championship, while the Lariats look to buck all the odds in the book and become the first 5-5 team to ever win an MBA title. This marks the third time Dallas and Oklahoma City have met in the Finals, with all three times coming in the past five seasons. Dallas won the previous two times in Season 53 and 54. The Season 53 Finals went the distance, with Dallas winning the decisive fifth game in overtime. The Season 54 Finals was a Demons sweep. Dallas won both regular season meetings against the Lariats this season, by 10, then 9 points.

    

Season 57 SemiFinals Game 2...Dallas at Los Angeles

DALLAS 69, LOS ANGELES 66

DEMONS RETURN TO FINALS

LOS ANGELES -- The five-time-defending champs from Dallas are back in the MBA Finals with a chance to become the first team in league history to win six consecutive titles.

They did so in a SemiFinals that saw them blow away a worthy Los Angeles team, then demonstrate their capability of coming up huge in a close encounter as they swept their way past The Big One with a 69-66 Game 2 triumph.

This was a crazy game that featured a first half where neither club could get untracked; partly due to the defense of their opponent and partly because of just plain bad shooting. Dallas maintained the lead throughout, but Los Angeles never trailed in the contest by more than 8 points.

Both offenses picked up the scoring pace considerably in the second half, but Dallas remained ahead by 8 going into the final stanza. 

The home team Big One got to within two points of the visitors on three occasions down the home stretch before Dallas' Hall of Fame guard Juzan Djinn, having a horrid shooting night, rose up at the 6 time unit mark and buried his only trey of the game, which turned out to be the vanquishing blow.

Rumpy Pumpy Lewis of Los Angeles scored immediately to reduce the lead from 5 to 3. But by the time L.A. got the ball back, their only hope was a full court desperation attempt by Vicious Hick that was just off the mark.

Dallas showed its depth in this win, with Mini Carfartt suffering a rest-of-game injury early in the third quarter. Wrinkly Tinkly Toe, brother of Pinky Toe on Los Angeles, stepped in and scored 7 points, and when he went out on a forced rest, 15-season veteran Hurricane Furrwizard spelled him with an immediate 3-pointer, leading to 8 important points in the second half of the third quarter.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

32 GVP...Former Demon VICIOUS HICK did his best to derail his old team's championship chances, coming up with the fifth Triple-Double of his Hall of Fame career, but it was not to be. The Los Angeles point guard scored zero points, taking just four shots in the first half, but turned on the juice for 10 in the third quarter on the way to a game-high (tied) 16 points. Hick did contribute defensively, stopping Carfartt twice and even frustrating Biggus Dickus out of a basket. The 6-2 Hick was a monster on the boards throughout, pulling down a game-high 11. For the game he was 6 for 12 from the floor, including 3 treys in 4 tries and going 1 for 1 at the foul line. He also handed out a game-high 5 assists in the losing effort. 

Other 20-plus GVP performers

29 GVP...Regular season MVP, Dallas' retiring Hall of Fame center Biggus Dickus...14 points...8 rebounds...3 blocked shots...2 steals...2 assists.

23 GVP...Hall of Fame Dallas guard Juzan Djinn...14 points...4 rebounds...3 assists...2 blocked shots.

23 GVP...Los Angeles retiring center Chat Bot...12 points (3 slams)...5 rebounds...4 blocked shots...2 assists.

20 GVP...Los Angeles shooting guard Pinky Toe...16 points...2 rebounds...2 assists.

NEXT UP: Seattle faces elimination on the road as it travels to Oklahoma City. These two teams have split two one-point games this season. It doesn't get any closer than that.

Season 57 SemiFinals...Game 1...Oklahoma City at Seattle

OKLAHOMA CITY 72, SEATTLE 71

LARIATS STEAL GAME 1 BARN-BURNER 

SEATTLE -- Down by as many as three starters in the fourth quarter, the visiting Oklahoma City Lariats managed to escape Seattle with a 72-71 Game 1 SemiFinal victory.

With their top scorer, Bellybutton Inquisition out on fouls early in the fourth and starting forward L.S. Island felled by injury in the third, Oklahoma City managed to come back from a 4-point deficit with 15 time units remaining. 

Seattle also found itself short-handed when, with 12 ticks left, Rookie of the Year J.J. Pickle joined starting center teammate Laughing Boy Lasso on the bench, both having fouled out and their team now trailing by a point.

All-MBA Seattle forward, Erik A. Crocidale, having a rugged shooting game, missed a short jumper, but Hall of Fame teammate Crentis Dentist tipped it in at the 5 time unit mark to give the home team a 71-70 lead. 

Lariats center Poop-Rupiah 3000 then fed the hero of the game, power forward Kevin Duran-Duran down low, who scored over Crocidale with 1 time unit remaining to give the visitors a 72-71 lead. Dentist, a more than capable 3-point shooter, had time to get a long one off as the buzzer rang out, but his shot was off and Oklahoma City had a hard-fought victory. 

This was the second one-point game played by these teams this season, with Seattle having won the regular season cross-over 89-88. 

PLAYER OF THE GAME

28 GVP...Oklahoma City's veteran power forward KEVIN DURAN-DURAN had his best offensive game of the season when his team needed it the most, getting a game-high 21 points in a contest in which he dominated his opposite, All-MBA star Erik A. Crocidale. Traded from Seattle to Oklahoma City at the beginning of the season, Duran-Duran played a complete game, holding Crocidale to just 4 points while going 9 for 13 from the floor on his own, including the game-winning hoop. He was 1 for 2 from deep and 2 for 2 from the foul line (where he led the league, tied with teammate Poop-Rupiah 3000). The 6-9, sixth-year man added a game-high 2 steals, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

26 GVP...Seattle point guard King Czardines...20 points...4 rebounds...2 assists. 

23 GVP...Oklahoma City center Poop-Rupiah 3000...14 points...8 rebounds...1 assist. 

22 GVP...Seattle's All-MBA two guard Hilbee "the Skinny German" Juggleboy...13 points...5 blocked shots...3 assists...1 rebound.

20 GVP...Seattle's Rookie of the Year small forward J.J. "Jake" Pickle...12 points...5 rebounds...2 assists...1 blocked shot.

NEXT UP: Mighty Dallas looks to end its SemiFinal series on the road against Los Angeles after laying 103 points on The Big One to open the series. 

 

Season 57 Semi-Finals Game 1...Los Angeles at Dallas

DALLAS 103, LOS ANGELES 66 (SLAUGHTER RULE ENFORCED)

STATEMENT WIN!

DALLAS -- If anyone had ideas about the five-time defending champion Dallas Demons vacating its top of the pyramid status in the MBA, this 103-66 massacre of a solid Los Angeles team to open the Season 57 playoffs should put an end to such notions.

After a competitive first quarter, Mighty Dallas kicked its title machine into post-season gear and left its former Hall of Fame guard Vicious Hick and L.A. teammates wondering how that talk of a first-round upset could have even been conceived.

The Demons delighted their entitled home fans with their best game of Season 57, hitting the century mark in points while making the visiting Big One's usually powerful offense seem little with 9 blocked shots and 7 steals.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

38 GVP...Coming off perhaps his quietest regular season campaign, one of the league's greatest players ever, Hall of Famer JUZAN DJINN, flexed his playoff muscles to show why he's been the winner of three Playoff MVP honors. The eighth-year wonder went off for a game-high 30 points,  more than doubling his 13.4 regular season average, while leading everyone with 4 assists. The 6-2 superstar was 12 for 19 from the floor, connecting on 3 of 7 from beyond the arc and going 3 for 4 from the foul line. He added 2 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. He's already tied with Cappy Gambol and Stu Nod for most Playoff MVPs. Another ring and another MVP would tie him with Naf Naf for second place overall on the Hall of Fame list. This is a great start in that direction. And just think...Dallas beat the odds by having him return to the team in free agency.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

32 GVP...Dallas point guard Mini Carfartt...26 points...3 assists...2 steals...1 rebound.

25 GVP...Los Angeles shooting guard Pinky Toe...17 points...6 rebounds...2 assists.

23 GVP...Dallas power forward Nick Kenpoop...14 points...4 rebounds...3 assists...2 blocked shots.

22 GVP...Dallas Hall of Fame small forward Pete "the Steakman" Marzano...15 points...5 blocked shots...2 steals.

21 GVP...Dallas Hall of Fame center Biggus Dickus...10 points...8 rebounds...2 steals...1 assist.

NEXT UP: Game 1 of the other SemiFinal with Oklahoma City at Seattle. The two met in the regular season in a whale of a contest, won 89-88 by the Stampede, despite a 24-point POG performance by Lariats center Poop-Rupiah 3000.

Season 57...Regular Season Wrap-up

 

-- Home teams were dominant in the second half of the schedule, going 17-8.

-- The top four differential teams, unsurprisingly, were the four teams that made the playoffs.

-- Dave's playoff predictions were a perfect 4 for 4, although the West teams were in reverse order.

-- Dallas, although still the class of the regular season, was not nearly as dominant as in the past five seasons where their points differential was a plus 10 or more every season but one. The Dallas defense, this season, was the worst in the East. Still, an 8-2 record is superb and they are still the playoff favorites with a chance for a record 6 straight titles.

-- Oklahoma City surprises everyone with the best overall defense in the league.

Season 57's All-MBA Team

For the first time in MBA history (since Season 1 when everyone was making it for the first time) all five First Team All-MBA players are first-time foil star getters.

Plus, all five are from Tyler teams, which I do believe is also a first.

Plus, retiring Dallas center Biggus Dickus, who makes All-MBA on his sixth and final try also nails down the regular season MVP honor and gains entry to the Hall of Fame. He gets to play in the post season with the Hall of Fame designation along with longtime teammates Juzan Djinn and Pete "the Steakman" Marzano. Three Hall of Famers in the same lineup seems kind of unbeatable. We will see.

Seattle lands two starters on the First Team All-MBA...Crocidale and Juggleboy.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR--from Seattle 

NEXT UP...Post season begins with Game 1 of Semis ... Los Angeles at Dallas as the Mighty Demons begin their quest for an unprecedented sixth consecutive title.

Season 57 Featured Game No. 10...Gillette at Seattle

SEATTLE 81, GILLETTE 77

STAMPEDE BLOCKS HUMPS PLAYOFF HOPES

SEATTLE -- It was only fitting that the home team Stampede used its 14th and final blocked shot to erase a Brother Jasper basket that would have tied the game with three ticks left, sending Seattle to the post season.

Down the stretch, the two centers, Jasper for Gillette and Laughing Boy Lasso for Seattle, exchanged six consecutive baskets (three each) before Lasso swatted away Jasper's attempt at four in a row that would have tied the game.

A bucket by Seattle on the final time unit accounted for the end score.

The loss ended the five-game winning streak for the Humps, who finished the season 6-4 for the fourth time in five seasons. They missed the playoffs on a third tie-breaker, points differential, to Los Angeles.

Seattle ended up in first at 7-3. It's their second division title in the past three seasons and just the fourth ever for the franchise. Their other first place finishes go back to Seasons 9 and 10. They finished 6-4 in the regular season during their lone championship year of Season 37.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

29 GVP...Player of the Game for the third time in the Stampede's last four games, retiring point guard KING CZARDINES came within a rebound of a triple-double as he dominated the league's leading scorer Mabaroshi No Hotcake in this playoff clinching win. The golden guard, in his eighth season, accounted for 17 points on 8 of 11 shooting, hitting his team's only trey on the first time unit of the game. The 6-footer also led his team in rebounds with 4 and as usual, posted a game-high number in assists with 8. Those helpers will give him a fourth league assists title in the past five seasons and add to his best campaign in that regard with 6 per game. He ended this season with a scoring average of 15.0 per contest. All in all a trade well made by Seattle.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

28 GVP...Seattle two guard Hilbee "the Skinny German" Juggleboy...17 points...5 assists...3 blocked shots...2 rebounds...1 steal.

25 GVP...Seattle center Laughing Boy Lasso...19 points...3 rebounds...2 blocked shots...1 steal. 

25 GVP...Seattle power forward Erik A. Crocidale...16 points (4 slams)...4 blocked shots...3 assists...2 rebounds.

25 GVP...Gillette center Brother Jasper...17 points (3 slams)...7 rebounds...1 steal.

21 GVP...Gillette shooting guard Joey "Joe Joe" Shamadu, Jr....19 points (3 treys)...2 rebounds.

20 GVP...Gillette forward Billie "Be-bop" Bauer...14 points...3 blocked shots...2 rebounds...1 assist.

MBA Standings … Season 57

EAST DIVISION

DALLAS…………………8-1 (Clinched Playoff spot) (Clinched first place)

OKLAHOMA CITY…..4-5

CHARLESTON……….4-5

PHILADELPHIA………4-5

MILWAUKEE………..3-6 (eliminated)

 

WEST DIVISION

SEATTLE………….7-3 (clinched playoff spot and first place)

LOS ANGELES….6-4 (clinched playoff spot)

GILLETTE…………6-4 (eliminated)

SAN JOSE…………3-7 (eliminated)

SACRAMENTO… 2-7 (eliminated)

NEXT UP: Philadelphia at Oklahoma City. This game will decide the final playoff spot (unless Charleston should somehow massacre Dallas). Philly has lost three in a row, including their loss to the Lariats (76-65, with 3000 as POG). But they can salvage everything and give Tyler teams all four playoff spots with a road win.

Season 57...Feature Game No. 9...Oklahoma City at Dallas on Pete Marzano Day

DALLAS 70, OKLAHOMA CITY 61 (PETE 'THE STEAKMAN" MARZANO DAY)

DALLAS SWATS WAY TO WIN

DALLAS -- Oklahoma City (4-5) shooters had to feel like houseflies as the Dallas Demons (now 8-1) swatted away a record 18 shots on the way to a 70-61 victory that secured home court for them for the entire playoffs.

The previous record was 15 blocked shots, held by three teams:

-- Season 27s Seattle team vs. Charleston

--Season 49s Seattle team, also against Charleston

--Season 53s Dallas team vs. this same Oklahoma City franchise

Hall of Fame guard Juzan Djinn led the way with 6 blocks, center Biggus Dickus had 5, forwards Nick Kenpoop and Hall of Famer Pete Marzano each had 3 and substitute guard Wrinkly Tinkly Toe added 1. 

The Demons, who prevented 15 points by Oklahoma City, held the visiting Lariats to 40.3 percent shooting, including an 0 for 17 goose from beyond the arc. Just why the Lariats, who came into the contest a woeful 21 percent from three, decided to bomb away is a mystery, unless one considers that they might have been sick of having their shots blocked back into their faces.

It was a close first half, but the Demons broke it open in the third quarter, then led by as many as 18 before finally settling for the 9-point triumph.

Tyler needs to replace Wrinkly Tinkly Toe with a cut pile guard for the final game of the regular season due to injury. Could be important for some poor cut pile slob, in that it could involve a championship ring for his card.

Points prevented

Oklahoma City 9

Dallas 15

Tops in points prevented

1. Oblio Assbag, Oklahoma City 7

2. Biggus Dickus, Dallas 6

3. Pete Marzano, Dallas 4

PLAYER OF THE GAME

32 GVP...One of the greats in the history of the MBA, Hall of Famer JUZAN DJINN of Dallas, was having a tough season coming into this game, averaging a season-low 11.8 points per game. He left the contest averaging 12.8, still his low-water mark but more confident in his game as the playoffs approach. The 6-2 Djinn tied for game-high in scoring with 21 points on 7 of 13 shooting, going 2 for 4 from deep and 5 for 5 from the foul line. His 6 blocked shots led everyone in that department, and he pulled down 3 boards while assisting twice. The eighth-year man probably won't be getting any regular season honors, but the three-time playoff MVP may be ready to seize the post-season by storm yet again.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

26 GVP...Dallas point guard Mini Carfartt...21 points...3 rebounds...2 assists.

26 GVP...Oklahoma City guard Bellybutton Inquisition...18 points...5 rebounds...3 assists.

21 GVP...Oklahoma City point guard Oblio Assbag...8 points...4 rebounds...4 assists...3 steals...2 blocks...tops in points prevented.

20 GVP...Dallas center Biggus Dickus...10 points...5 blocked shots...4 rebounds...1 assist.

FANS BID ADIEU TO "THE STEAKMAN"

Retiring Hall of Fame forward Pete “the Steakman” Marzano was honored at halftime for his brief (six seasons) but brilliant MBA career.

  Originally drafted by Sacramento in Season 52, he was acquired in a trade by Dallas for Hall of Fame center J.J. Gargantuan. It was, for the Demons, a most fortuitous exchange. The fact that Dallas’ run of five consecutive championships coincides with Marzano’s arrival to the franchise is proof positive of his effectiveness in the Demons lineup.

 Oft-times compared with that bastard NBA league’s defensive wizard Draymond Green, “The Steakman” has turned off the offensive spigot on many an opponent, specializing in steals and especially blocked shots. And although he has never been a huge scorer, the 6-8 Marzano has delivered many a clutch hoop for the Dallas dynasty. Coming into this season he’s averaged between 12.2 per game to a career-best 16.5 ppg during his MVP campaign of Season 53. This season he’s at 13.3 per contest. He’s led the league in steals once and blocked shots once, while leading his club in steals three times and blocked shots twice. He’s never been below 20 blocked shots in any season.

 He’s the player every opponent loves to hate…”the Steakman,” Pete Marzano.

MBA Standings … Season 57

EAST DIVISION

DALLAS…………………8-1 (Clinched Playoff spot) (Clinched first place)

PHILADELPHIA………4-4

OKLAHOMA CITY…..4-5

CHARLESTON……….4-5

MILWAUKEE………..2-6 (eliminated)

 

WEST DIVISION

LOS ANGELES….6-3

GILLETTE…………6-3

SEATTLE………….6-3

SAN JOSE…………2-7 (eliminated)

SACRAMENTO… 2-7 (eliminated)

NEXT UP: Bracket 9 ends with Philadelphia at Milwaukee as the Phobia seeks to claim second place in the East while the Greyhounds still entertain a slim chance to get out of the cellar. Philly snuffed out Milwaukee earlier this season 67-44. Both the teams that the Phobia were tied with entering this bracket, Oklahoma City and Charleston, lost, leaving second place up for grabs.