Season 38 MBA Finals Game 3

Chicago 81, Philadelphia 54

GALE BLOWS AWAY PHOBIA, FORCING RETURN TO WINDY CITY

PHILADELPHIA -- They ain't dead yet!

The visiting Chicago Gale put a 27-point whoopin' on the home team Philadelphia Phobia, finally demonstrating the kind of defense and talent that earned them a spot in the Season 38 finals.

The Gale set the tone right out of the gate, rushing to an 8-0 advantage to start the game and holding the Phobia without a point for the first half of the initial quarter, which ended with Chicago leading 18-4. They then proceeded to outscore the home team in every quarter thereafter while holding Philadelphia to the lowest point total any team has had in the playoffs, as well as establishing the biggest victory margin.

Chicago pressed the issue the entire game, as evidenced by their 22 free throws compared to 1 for the home team.

It can be imagined that Gale fans who rued the purchase of Game 4 tickets are now frantically digging into their filthy trash receptacles to find the discarded vouchers. Chicago returns to its home court and will also welcome starting forward Stu Gatz back from an injury that has kept him from participating in any playoff game until now. He will replace Pap Smearz in the starting lineup, giving Chicago a better defender while at the same time strengthening its bench.

To make room for Gatz on the roster, the Gale cut forward Kipchak Turk, keeping Vermin Supreme on the team in his stead.

20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
-- Chicago point guard GINGER VAMPIRE, having the best season of a solid career, had yet to step up in this finals series before this important elimination contest. But he came up big time with a game-high 29-point effort that included 3 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 assist. Vampire went 10-for-15 on the day, kept his counterpart Mel A. Noma in foul trouble for much of the contest, popped in a pair of treys and went 7 for 9 at the free throw line.
-- The Gale's defensive standout at guard, Poppy Poppalucco, held scoring machine T.Kanes Masterson to just 12 points before fouling out. Poppy also outscored Masterson, tallying 15 points on 50 percent shooting, grabbing 4 boards, getting 2 assists and blocking 2 shots.
-- Chicago's small forward Art Vandelay did a dominating number on Philadelphia's Bruce Hammer, who had killed the Gale up to this point. Vandelay finished with 17 points on a variety of shots that included multiple drives to the hole and a pair of 3-point buckets. His aggressive play kept Hammer in foul trouble the entire game until he eventually fouled out early in the fourth quarter with just 4 points (13 below his playoff average). Vandelay also led his team in rebounding with 5 and registered 1 steal.

Season 38 Finals Game 2 Philadelphia at Chicago

Philadelphia 79, Chicago 68

PHILLY ON VERGE OF TITLE 16 AFTER GAME 2 TRIUMPH

CHICAGO -- A 7-0 Philadelphia Phobia run to start the final quarter, ending with yet another timely trey by small forward Bruce Hammer, broke open a close game and provided the momentum for another 11-point win for Philly.

The final score was 79-68, and coming on the heels of their 76-65 Game 1 win, puts the Phobia snugly in the driver's seat, needing just one win in the next three games to be crowned Season 38 champs.

Chicago needed a monster game from forward Art Vandelay, and he delivered big time with a game-high 27 points. But his counterpart at small forward, Hammer, was nearly as good, leading the Phobia with 24 on a variety of shots from all over the court.

Even with star shooting guard T.Kanes Masterson having an off day, courtesy of Poppy Poppalucco's tough defense, and Poppalucco delivering solid scoring numbers himself, the Gale could not muster enough scoring at crunch time.

Philadelphia could win it all next game as they return to their home court.

20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
-- Chicago's small forward ART VANDELAY became the first Gale player this post-season to win an MVP of the Game performance with a game-high 27 points that included a game-high tying 10 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. But he could not stop Bruce Hammer from nearly matching his output.
-- Chicago two guard Poppy Poppalucco was outstanding defensively against T.Kanes Masterson, thwarting sure baskets time and again. Plus, Poppy scored 18 points, including a pair of treys, had a game-high 2 blocked shots and delivered 2 assists.
-- Small forward Bruce Hammer of Philadelphia has come up huge all season long and continues to do so in the playoffs. His team-high 24 points were highlighted by a game-high 3 steals and a game-high (tied) 10 rebounds.

PLAYOFF FACTOID: Neither one of the two teams in the MBA finals have a Season 38 All-MBA player in their lineup. And despite the fact that the East has both teams in the finals and bested the West in regular season wins, all of the All-MBA players this season came from the West.



THE LAST 8 ALL-MBA TEAMS

Season 38 MBA Finals Game 1

Philadelphia 76, Chicago 65

PHILLY UPS ITS GAME TO TAKE 1-0 FINALS LEAD

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Phobia took a big step toward procuring their 16th MBA championship with a Finals-opening 76-65 home win over the Chicago Gale.

The Phobia dominated the backboards in the rebounding department 28-16, hit more than twice the number of 3-pointers than they averaged during the regular season (7 treys of 10, season average 3 per game) and stole the ball 7 times from the Gale (Philly averaged 2.2 steals per game during the season).

In short, they had a magnificent opener, and if they continue to play at this pace, it will be a short finals.

After a rough opening quarter, Chicago closed the gap, trailing by just 3 at the half. But a third-quarter charge led by Game MVP T. Kanes Masterson and forward Bruce Hammer gave the Phobia a comfortable 14-point advantage heading into the final 70 time units.

The best of five Finals now moves to Chicago, where the Gale beat Philadelphia early this season 95-68. The Phobia have since beaten Chicago twice, once during the regular season in Philadelphia, and in this finals opener in Philly.

20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
--T.KANES MASTERSON of Philadelphia shrugged off the usually outstanding defense of Chicago's Poppy Poppalucco and delivered a game-high 22 points to lead all scorers and earn MVP of the Game honors. The 6-3 shooting guard also pulled down 6 rebounds, registered 2 steals and had 2 assists. If a playoff MVP award were to be given at this point, Masterson would be the pick.
--Philadelphia power forward Davis Phillips, starting against his old team for the first time, was merely outstanding. He led all rebounders with 9, had 14 points and led everyone with 3 steals.
--Small forward Bruce Hammer of Philadelphia continued his brilliant scoring ways with 15 points, including a 3-for-5 effort from 3-point land that broke Chicago's comeback attempts time and again. Hammer also pulled down 4 boards, had 1 steal and 1 assist.
--Chicago two guard Poppy Poppalucco had an above-average game offensively for the visitors but could not stop Masterson. Poppy had 14 points, a game-high 4 assists and 3 rebounds. He also led everyone with 2 blocked shots.
--Hall of Fame Chicago center Max Payne thoroughly outplayed his much younger counterpart Diss Reflexia, getting a team-high 17 points, pulling down 4 rebounds and blocking 1 shot. He held Reflexia below double figures in scoring.
--Chicago's leading scorer during the regular season, Art Vandelay, was a perfect 7-for-7 from the field, getting 16 points and leading his team in rebounds with 5. He added 1 assist. But for Chicago to win, Vandelay has to get more shots.

SPECIAL NOTE: Both Philadelphia starting forwards were obtained in the Season 38 draft after they were both cut by their respective teams...Phillips from Charleston and Hammer from Sacramento.



TOP PLAYOFF REBOUNDERS LAST 8 SEASONS

Game 3, semifinal decider, Oklahoma City at Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA 72, OKLAHOMA CITY 70

NOMA AND PHILADELPHIA PUT ON DEJA VU ELIMINATION PERFORMANCE

PHILADELPHIA -- Oklahoma City had the home team Phobia right where it wanted it. After trailing by 10 points for a majority of the game, the visiting Lariats had the ball in league MVP Naf Naf's hands, trailing by 2 points with 4 time units remaining. The record-breaking 3-point shooter went up for the trey that would have put his team in the lead for the first time all game...and the chuckle-fuck missed it.

He missed it like he had missed 7 other treys in this do-or-die contest. He missed it like he missed more than 61 percent of his 3-pointers in this series. The man who shot 64.6 percent from beyond the arc this season defied the odds in his favor one more time.

And so, for the second season in a row, the Oklahoma City Lariats bowed out of the MBA playoffs, courtesy again of the Philadelphia Phobia.

And speaking of recurring nightmares, the MVP of the decisive third game in this series for the second season in a row was Philly point guard Mel A. Noma, who led everyone in scoring with 20 points. To add insult to injury, it was Noma who scored the game-winning points as well.

Naf Naf's effort very much resembled Game 3 of last season when he was 3 of 9 from trey, scoring 16 points, going 6 for 14 from the floor. In this one he was 7 for 17. Like last season, you kept waiting for him to heat up from three. Like last season, he never did.

The Lariats rallied to make a game of it even though they looked thoroughly defeated after the first quarter. In the intial stanza, Oklahoma City, already missing starting forward Walter Sobchack to injury, lost starting forward Reckless Abandon to a forced rest 5 time units into the game, then lost starting guard Simon Barsinister to forced rest 8 time units later, then lost substitute starting forward Abe Binder to 2 fouls 6 time units after that. So it was no surprise they trailed by 10, 24-14 after one quarter.

They then somehow managed to come all the way back to within 3 points with 28 time units left in the game. Here's how the remainder of the contest played out.
--Naf Naf of Oklahoma City tips in a missed shot to bring the Lariats within 1 point, 68-67. (27 left)
--T.Kanes Masterson of Philadelphia pots a medium jumper putting Phobia up 70-67.
--Reckless Abandon of OKC hits a short J and is fouled in the process. His and 1 is good and the score is tied 70-70 with 14 left.
--Masterson misses medium jumper for Phobia, Abandon rebounds for Oklahoma City.
--Naf Naf misses a 3-pointer that would have given his team its first lead. Diss Reflexia rebounds for Philly.
--With just 6 time units remaining, Philly point guard Mel A. Noma gets into the lane and hits a short jumper to put his team ahead 72-70.
--Naf Naf is fouled on a drive by Noma with 5 left, 1 foul short of a 1-1 bonus.
--Naf Naf takes and misses the trey at 4 time units remaining. Noma gets the rebound. Time runs out.

So now the Philadelphia Phobia, East Division underdogs for the second straight year, advance to the MBA finals for the second straight year. Philly was picked to finish last in Season 37 and fourth in Season 38.
They will take on the team that they tied for first place in the division, the Chicago Gale, in an all East final. The teams split their two regular season games, then Philadelphia won the extra tie-breaking game that gives them home court advantage in this finals series.

LIKE SWALLOWS RETURNING TO CAPISTRANO...
In 37 previous seasons, the Philadelphia Phobia and the Chicago Gale have never met in the MBA finals.
This will be Philadelphia's 20th Finals appearance. They have been champions a record 15 times.
This will be Chicago's 4th Finals appearance. They have won 2 championships...the last coming in Season 16.
Trivia question for Phil Davia if he gets this far reading this tome. Who was the starting center for the Chicago Gale in the Season 16 game where they won their last title? (Answer at bottom of page).

20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
--Second-season Philadelphia point guard MEL A. NOMA came up huge for the second consecutive season in a first-round deciding game. He led everyone in scoring with 20 points, assisted 4 times, registered 1 steal and had 3 rebounds. Plus, he hit the game-winner.
--Philly two-guard T.Kanes Masterson, hounded all game by Simon Barsinister, still managed 14 points and came up with 6 big rebounds.
--Phobia center Diss Reflexia put his imprint on numerous phases of the game, coming up with the second triple-double of his career. The third-season pivot had 13 points, a game-high 7 rebounds, a game-high 5 assists and 1 blocked shot.
--Naf Naf of Oklahoma City led his team in scoring with 18 points, grabbed 3 boards and assisted on 1.
--Lariats forward Reckless Abandon had 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.



TOP PLAYOFF SCORERS PAST EIGHT SEASONS

Trivia Question answer:
Hank Davia, pressed into action when Chicago starting center Piston Honda went down to injury, was in the pivot for Chicago when they last won an MBA championship in Season 16.

Game 3 Semifinals Chicago at Dallas

Chicago 63, Dallas 59

GALE CLAMPS DOWN ON DALLAS TO ADVANCE TO FINALS

DALLAS--The Chicago Gale, using strong defense as its main weapon, outlasted a late-game charge by the Dallas Demons to win the decisive Game 3 of this semifinal series and advance to the MBA championship round. Eight steals and 6 blocked shots did the trick for the visitors, who took the contest 63-59.

The Gale grabbed a healthy 21-14 advantage after the first quarter, increased that 7-point lead to 13 at the half, then hung on for dear life in the final two quarters. The Demons were within three points early in the fourth, and the game was still in doubt with four time units left and Chicago ahead 61-57. A missed Chicago shot gave Dallas hope, but Gale forward Art Vandelay swooped in and jammed home a put-back for the dagger that sealed the deal.

The game, and the series was all that could be expected of the league's two best defensive teams. Dallas registered 6 steals of its own, but could not overcome the defense of Chicago's Poppy Poppalucco and Hall of Fame center Max Payne, who wreaked havoc against Dallas shooters.

Chicago's 55.3 percent shooting in this third game, normally a mediocre night's work, underlined how tough the defense was for both teams in the series. That shooting percentage was high for either team all series.

Dallas leaned on All-MBA forwards Gulemon Mon-Mon (18 points) and Matthew Vanden Boogart (19) for most of their offense, while Chicago point guard veteran Ginger Vampire led everyone in scoring with 20 while thoroughly outplaying Lapiz Lapiz Boligrafo, who was 0 for 8 in the game and fouled out for the second consecutive time.

The Gale, who last made it to the finals in Season 35 (losing to Oklahoma City), awaits the outcome of the Oklahoma City vs. Philadelphia series to determine its opponent. This will be the fourth final for Chicago.

20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
-- MATTHEW VANDEN BOOGART captured his second MVP of the Game honor for Dallas with a 19-point, 10-rebound performance. He led his team in scoring and everyone in rebounds, also blocking 2 shots and and dishing out 1 assist. He had a superb series.
-- Gulemon Mon-Mon, the other Dallas forward, finished up the best season of his 12-campaign career with 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 assists.
-- Chicago point guard Ginger Vampire led everyone in scoring with 20 points and shut his opponent out. Vampire also pulled down 3 boards, had 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot.
-- Chicago's Hall of Fame center Max Payne was again key in this victory, leading everyone with 3 blocks and stopping Dallas star Naceg Gecan numerous times throughout the game. Payne had 13 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals as well.
-- Chicago small forward Art Vandelay put up 17 points and led the Gale with 8 rebounds, adding 2 assists and 1 steal as he battled Boogart all game long.

NEXT UP: The Game 3 decider in the other semifinal series as Oklahoma City travels to Philadelphia to see who plays Chicago in the finals.



THE EIGHT MOST RECENT PLAYOFF MVPS

Playoffs Semifinals Game 2 Philadelphia at Oklahoma City

Philadelphia 90, Oklahoma City 79

PHOBIA OUT-GUNS NAF AND LARIATS TO EVEN SERIES
OKLAHOMA CITY--The Philadelphia Phobia and their relentless offensive attack has evened up this three-game semifinal series at one game each with a 90-79 road win at Oklahoma City.

The game was close throughout, with superstars T. Kanes Masterson of Philadelphia and Naf Naf of Oklahoma City pouring in points for their respective teams. The turning point came with 30 time units left in the contest when Philly point guard Mel A. Noma potted his only trey of the game, was fouled, and delivered the subsequent free throw for a 4-point play, increasing the lead from two points to six at 82-76.

Philadelphia wore down the Lariats on the boards for the second consecutive game, more than doubling the home team's total, 29-13.

Another key was the offensive awakening of Phobia center Diss Reflexia, who scored all 16 of his points in the second half.

The Lariats suffered another tremendous blow to injury halfway through the second quarter, when small forward Walter Sobchack went down hard and was lost for the remainder of the game as well as the rest of the playoffs. This came on the heels of Oklahoma City finally fielding its full starting lineup for the first time in four games, as Reckless Abandon returned to the fold after a three-game absence.

Abe Binder, who replaced Sobchack, did little to distinguish himself in 2 and a half quarters of play, scoring no points, getting no rebounds and fouling out. Peter Pizza, who began the season with Oklahoma City, will replace Sobchack on the roster.

The Philadelphia win means both semifinals series will, not surprisingly, go the distance.

20-Plus GVP performances
--T.Kanes Masterson burned up the nets with 20 first-half points, finishing with 28 for the winning Phobia. He added 2 rebounds.
-- Philly center Diss Reflexia came to life with all 16 points coming in the second half. He was sharp all game long with his passing, tying for game-high honors with 5. He also pulled down 2 boards and stole one pass.
-- The big lefty power forward for Philly, Davis Phillips, led everyone with 10 rebounds while scoring 12 points, notching 2 assists and 1 steal.
-- Phobia small forward Bruce Hammer was also huge on the boards, pulling down 9 while scoring 16 points, getting 2 assists and 1 steal.
-- Game MVP NAF NAF of Oklahoma City lit it up for a game-high 29 points, coming within one 3-pointer of tying a playoff record 8 treys. He added a rebound and a steal.
-- Can't ask too much more of Oklahoma City center Hodor, who played Reflexia pretty much even up. Hodor had 12 points, a team-high 7 rebounds and 2 assists.
--Lariats power forward Reckless Abandon delivered a clutch 20-point game with 4 rebounds and 1 assist in the loss.

NEXT UP: Chicago Gale at Dallas Demons in the Semifinals finale to determine which team plays for an MBA title.

Semifinals Game 2 Dallas at Chicago

Chicago 71, Dallas 62

CHICAGO DEFENSE COMES UP BIG TO TIE SERIES

CHICAGO -- This best of three semifinal will go the distance, with the Chicago Gale evening up the series 1-1 with a hard-fought 71-62 home victory.
Entering the final quarter, Chicago had things pretty much in hand, thanks to a defensive mindset that held the visitors to just 46.4 percent shooting for the game and a first-quarter injury to Dallas All-MBA forward Gulemon Mon-Mon that put him out for the rest of the game.
Despite the fact that the worst shooter on the Gale, Poppy Poppalucco, took 19 shots, Chicago was able to hold off a charge led by Dallas' Lemon Jell-o, which cut the deficit from 17 to 6 with 27 time units remaining.
So the series finale will take place in the home of the Demons, with the home team each winning the first two games.
Fasten your seat belts.

20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
-- LEMON JELL-O, the top Dallas scorer all season, was stymied offensively in this series by Poppy Poppalucco of Chicago until the Demons' Lapiz Lapiz Boligrafo fouled out with 61 time units left in the game. Then Jell-o moved to the point guard spot and wreaked near-havoc on the Gale. Eleven of his team-high 17 points came in the fourth as the Demons outscored Chicago 24-16 to put a matinee horror-film scare into the Gale fans. Jell-o also led his team with 6 rebounds, adding 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot to his final numbers.
-- Hall of Famer Max Payne, Chicago's center, contributed 15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocked shots to the victory, with many of those points coming in the final period. He was 7-for-7 from the floor.
-- Second-year Chicago forward Pap Smearz followed up his 7-rebound performance of Game 1 with a game-high 10-rebound effort in this one. He also had 9 points, 2 assists and 1 blocked shot.
-- Chicago's small forward Art Vandelay topped the victors in scoring with 21 points, grabbing 4 rebounds in the process.

NEXT UP: Philadelphia, down 1-0 in the best-of-three, looks to ward off elimination as it travels to Oklahoma City. It must be pointed out that the Phobia was down 1-0 to this same team last season in the first round before winning the last two to advance to the Finals.