MBA Finals Game 2...Sacramento at Dallas

DALLAS 83, SACRAMENTO 82

DEMONS WIN WITH NO TIME LEFT 

DALLAS--Dallas Demons' substitute rookie guard Otto Palindrome sank two free throws with no time left on the clock to give his team an 83-82 victory in this extraordinary Game 2 Finals. Palindrome, playing for the injured Bingo Bango, took a final-time-unit medium jumper which would have won the game had it gone in. The shot missed, but Sacramento guard Great Gruncle Terry fouled the shooter to set up the heroics by the rookie, who was mobbed by teammates and Demonic fans alike when the second shot swished through, giving the home team a 2-0 Finals lead.

It was the second consecutive barn-burning Finals contest between these two powerhouse teams, with Dallas winning the first-game squeaker by 2 points. There was a lot more scoring this time, but the contest resembled Game 1 in that the Demons led for a vast majority of the game. Sacramento entered the final quarter down 6, finally getting the 82-81 lead with three time units remaining before Potus Obama rushed a shot to give Dallas a final opportunity for the win.

The win by Dallas puts them one victory away from claiming their first championship since Season 28. The Demons got 27 points off their bench, 15 coming from veteran back-up guard Meat Pants Masterson, who, along with Palindrome, manned the guard position down the stretch for the home team.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Getting his second POG in as many Finals games, Hall of Fame forward CHIP "THE CRIP" BATTOE was the difference-maker, as expected, coming through with a team-high 21 points and a playoff-record-tying 9 blocked shots. The fourth-season wonder is going for his first Finals MVP award, the only MBA honor that has thus far eluded him, along with his first championship ring. Doo-rag Dripp of Sacramento will be seeing his balls being swatted in his Chipster nightmares. In this game, Battoe was 9 for 12 from the floor (1 for 2 from deep), going 2 for 2 from the foul line and adding 2 rebounds.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

-- Before fouling out late in the fourth quarter, Dallas point guard Louie Subgum contributed 12 points, a team-high 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot to his team's humongous win. 

--Up until his last time-unit foul, Sacramento point guard Great Gruncle Terry had yet another outstanding playoff game for the River Dogs. Terry directed the offense with a game-high 7 assists, scoring 12 points, adding 1 blocked shot.

-- Sacramento shooting guard Potus Obama put in 16 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, had 4 assists, blocked 2 shots and got 1 steal in the loss.

-- 6-8 River Dogs center Tree Fiddy dominated the 7-2 GoToo Grot in this game, scoring a game-high 24 points with quick-release shots down low. Fiddy added 3 rebounds.

-- Pap Smearz of Sacramento was his usual efficient self at the power forward position, scoring 13 poiints, grabbing 3 boards, dishing 4 assists, blocking 1 shot and swiping 1 steal.

NEXT UP: The teams return to Sacramento, where the River Dogs will try to find some kind of way to cope with Battoe and put a game in the win column before this Finals is over. Tyler noted that this Finals resembles the Season 44 Finals, won by upstart Sacramento in three games over Philadelphia. In that series, the first two games went to overtime and the clincher was a 2-point victory.

Season 46 Finals Game 1...Dallas at Sacramento

DALLAS 64, SACRAMENTO 62

DEMONS STEAL GAME 1 CLIFFHANGER

SACRAMENTO -- It wasn't until the final shot in the game's final time unit that Game 1 of this highly anticipated Finals match was decided. 

   Hall of Fame Dallas forward Chip Battoe had just driven to the basket for the bucket that gave his team a 2-point lead, giving the home team River Dogs one time unit left to tie or win the game. Third-year Sacramento point guard Great Gruncle Terry took the deciding trey at the horn and was denied by Bingo Bango (the shot was no good anyway), giving the Demons a 64-62 road win.

It was the first home loss of the season for Sacramento and kept the Dallas bunch unbeaten in the post-season, ahead 1-0 in the best of 5 title series.

High-powered defenses kept the dynamic offenses of these two powerhouse clubs in check throughout the game, and only time will tell if either team will be able to approach their 80-plus points average per game in these Finals.

Dallas can point to its 9 of 12 3-point shooting as a deciding factor in this win, while Sacramento stayed close in part due to its made free throw margin of 10 to 1. 

At one point in the second half, Dallas led by as many as 10 points, but Sacramento came slowly back to tie the score down the stretch. From there it was a white-knuckle affair, with the teams trading hard-won baskets, until the Demons turned to (who else?) Battoe for his game-winning drive to the hole.

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

CHIP "THE CRIP" BATTOE,  Dallas' fourth-year forward, showed why he is a Hall of Famer and considered the top player in today's MBA. The MVP for the fourth time this season scored a game-high 20 points, including the clutch contest-winning hoop in the highly-charged atmosphere of this Game 1 Finals event. He was 9 for 14 from the field, including 2 for 2 from 3-Point Land, pulled down 5 rebounds, led his team with 3 blocked shots and frustrated the top scorer on the River Dogs, Doo-rag Dripp, holding him to just 4 points.

Standout point guard GREAT GRUNCLE TERRY  of Sacramento missed the final trey that could have given his team the Game 1 win, but without his efforts throughout the game, the River Dogs would have not had that longshot opportunity. Terry racked up his third POG of the post-season, narrowly missing another triple-double (and the rarest of all...a quadruple double) as he dominated point guard play over Louie Subgum. The third-year man filled up the various stat columns with 15 points, tying for game-high in assists with 4 and in blocked shots with 4 while pulling down a team-high 5 rebounds. He was 5 for 11 from the floor (1 for 3 from deep) and a perfect 4 for 4 from the foul line. 

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMERS

-- Sacramento shooting guard Potus Obama led his team in scoring with 17 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, had 2 assists and 1 steal in the loss. 

-- Veteran 10-year forward Pap Smearz had a shaky start but straightened up to have a fine game with 14 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

NEXT UP: The teams head to Big D as the Demons, unbeaten at home all season, look to take command in what is already looking like a must-win for Sacramento.

 

Semifinals Game 3...Charleston at Sacramento

SACRAMENTO 80, CHARLESTON 67

RIVER DOGS ADVANCE TO SHOWDOWN 

SACRAMENTO -- Unbeaten in front of their home crowd this season, the Sacramento River Dogs shot out of the gate with an 11-2 run and were never seriously headed, advancing to the MBA Finals for the second time in the last three seasons.

POINTS PREVENTED BY QUARTERS

Charleston...4...4...2...2   Total=12

Sacramento.5...7...2...0   Total=14

TOPS IN POINTS PREVENTED

1. Pap Smearz, Sacramento...6

1. J.J. Gargantuan, Charleston...6

3. Flip Testerton, Charleston...4

TURNOVERS CAUSED BY QUARTERS

Charleston...0...1...3...0   Total=4

Sacramento.2...4...2...0   Total=8

TOPS IN TURNOVERS CAUSED

1. Tree Fiddy, Sacramento...4

2. Potus Obama, Sacramento 2

2. J.J. Gargantuan, Charleston 2

GAME TIDBITS

-- Coach Frankie Pantangeli of Sacramento made no substitutions during the game. All five starters went the distance.

-- Charleston went without a free throw the entire game. In fact, only one free throw was made by either team.

-- This was the last game in the careers of Charleston players Lapiz Lapiz Boligrafo and Flip Testerton, who both bowed out with very good games.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

The heart of the River Dogs, third-year point guard GREAT GRUNCLE TERRY was not about to let his club down in this decisive third game of the Semis. The 6-5 Terry was magnificent, capturing his second POG of the playoffs with the fourth triple-double of his career, which he secured by the third quarter. He scored 15 points on 7 of 8 shooting (1 for 2 from deep), tied for game-high in rebounds with 7, racked up a game-high 9 assists (one short of the playoff record), blocked a team-high 2 shots and had 1 steal. Going into the Finals, Terry is averaging a triple-double

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMERS

-- Shooters shoot, and Sacramento two-guard Potus Obama has never been shy about letting it fly. After a horrendous shooting night in Game 2, Obama remained unbowed and cranked up 19 shots, good for a game-high 21 points in this series-clinching win. He also pulled down 4 boards, had 2 assists and exated revenge on his opposite, Cat Timol with a dominant performance. He also finished second in the game in defensive turnovers.

-- Wily old veteran Sacramento forward Pap Smearz came through with a 19-point game that included 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 blocked shot and 6 points prevented, which tied his teammate Gargantuan for game-high.

-- Sacramento's small forward Doo-rag Dripp had a solid 16-point game that included 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot.

-- Charleston point guard Lapiz Lapiz Boligrafo ended his 10-season run with a flourish, scoring a team-high (tied) 14 points, dishing out a team-high 6 rebounds and pulling down 2 rebounds. He will be tough for the Mountaineers to replace.

-- Hall of Fame Charleston center J.J. Gargantuan was on the wrong side of victory but had a fine post-season. He dominated Sacramento center Tree Fiddy all series long.  In this game he tied for top-scorer on his team with 14 points, blocked a game-high 3 shots, tied for most points prevented in the game and was second in turnovers caused, pulled down 6 rebounds, had 2 assists and registered 1 steal. 

-- Saying good-bye to the MBA, freak 6-5 rebounding genius Flip Testerton fittingly went out with a game-high (tied) 7 rebounds, scoring 12 points, finishing third in points prevented, blocking 1 shot and getting 1 assist. He earned his second All-MBA foil star this season, and like Boligrafo, will be a bitch to replace in the lineup.

NEXT UP: THE FINALS

Dallas vs. Sacramento (first game in Sacramento) may be the most highly anticipated Finals series in the 46-season history of the MBA. It was apparent early on that these two squads were on a collision course for the championship.

-- both teams ended the regular season on top of their divisions with 9-1 records

-- Dallas is the No. 1 scoring team in the league, while Sacramento is the top defensive team. Dallas is fourth in the league defensively while Sacramento is second in the MBA offensively. 

-- Neither team played the other during the regular season, making the Finals all-the-more intriguing.

-- Dallas ran through its first-round opponent like crap through a goose. Sacramento stumbled to its second loss against a tougher Semifinals foe, then steadied itself to advance with a flourish.

-- The most recent confrontation of powerhouses like this was in Season 41 when the defending champions from Oklahoma City came into the playoffs with a 9-1 record and met Charleston and former teammate Naf Naf in the Finals. The Mountaineers were 8-2 entering the post-season. Both teams went unbeaten in the Semifinals. Hall of Fame guard Yipeekayee Masterfalcon of Oklahoma City had his brightest moments to capture the Playoff MVP, leading his club to its second straight title 3 games to 1. But those were both Dave teams.

-- Sacramento's Season 15 team, just its sixth season in existence, went a remarkable 9-1 largely through the efforts of league MVP Frankie Pantangeli, the coach of the current River Dogs team. (I will give you a Cheroot if you can name even one other player from that team). They were matched against the league's dominant team at the time, 9-1 Philadelphia, which, behind Hall of Famer Stu Nod,  dispatched them three straight in the finals as expected. That was a Dave team against a Tyler team.

-- To find the most recent example of two outstanding teams, one by each league owner, you have to go back to Season 13 when Oklahoma City and Milwaukee, both 9-1 during the regular season, met up in the Finals. The Lariats returned to the championship series from the previous year when they lost in five games to Houston. They upended a strong Philadelphia team in round 1 of the playoffs, but lost Hall of Fame center Diamond Dallas Paige for the remainder of the run. Meanwhile, Milwaukee presented Hall of Famers Dan Mann, Marshall Stax (who had played for OKC the previous season), Raisin Sport and Rip Slamjam. Still, Oklahoma City, behind Playoff MVP Streetcar Johnny Masterson, took the series to the five game limit before getting blown away 92-56 in the last game.

This Season 46 Finals is tough to predict, with two teams of definite championship caliber. I give a slight edge, based on their Semifinals performance, to Dallas, which is looking for its fourth title and first since Season 28.  

Semifinals Game 2...Sacramento at Charleston

POINTS PREVENTED BY QUARTERS

Sacramento...5...5...2...2   Total=14

Charleston....4...6...6...4    Total=20

TOP PLAYERS IN POINTS PREVENTED

1. J. J. Gargantuan, Charleston 8

1. Great Gruncle Terry, Sacramento 8

3. Cat Timol, Charleston 6

CHARLESTON 60, SACRAMENTO 57

MOUNTAINEERS AIN'T DEAD YET

CHARLESTON -- The Charleston Mountaineers used a stifling defense that included 20 points prevented and 12 blocked shots to win 60-57  before a roaring throng at home and send this entertaining Semifinal series to a conclusive Game 3. 

The two top defensive teams in the MBA were on display here again in Game 2, with Charleston showing a little more teeth and warding off elimination by holding the West Division champs to just 41 percent shooting. 

Charleston, which shared the league leadership in blocked shots with Dallas, came within 2 of the playoff record for one game. 5-10 Cat Timol blocked 6 shots for the victors.

PLAYER OF GAME

Retiring long-range sharpshooter LAPIZ LAPIZ BOLIGRAFO of Charleston overcame the defensive excellence of his point-guard opponent Great Gruncle Terry to lead all scorers with 20 points in this gigantic Mountaineers win. The 10-year veteran was 8 for 13 from the floor, bombing away at a 4 for 7 clip from 3-point range, grabbing 2 rebounds and leading everyone with 3 assists. His back-to-back treys to start the fourth quarter were daggers in the heart of the River Dogs and gave the home team the cushion it needed to secure victory.

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMERS

-- All-MBA forward Flip Testerton,  the other retiring starter on this Charleston club, also played like someone who did not want to see his career end just yet. The 6-5 jumping jack pulled down a game-high 8 rebounds while scoring 10 points, getting 2 assists and 1 blocked shot. 

-- Sacramento point guard Great Gruncle Terry,  the POG of Game 1, nearly repeated that status in this loss. In addition to tying for most points prevented in the game (including two would-be 3s by Boligrafo), Terry led his team in scoring with 15 points, pulled down 6 rebounds, had 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot.

-- After getting shut out in Game 1 by the defensive genius of J.J. Gargantuan, Sacramento center Tree Fiddy came back to post an 11-point game, despite the ongoing resistance by his opponent, who tied for most points prevented in the contest. Fiddy also pulled down 6 rebounds, dished out a team-high 2 assists and blocked a team-high 2 shots.

-- 10-year veteran R-Dogs forward Pap Smearz led his team in rebounds with 7, scored 13 points and had 1 assist in the losing effort. 

NEXT UP: Expect points to be at a premium again as the two Semifinalists return to Sacramento for the third and deciding game to see who meets Dallas in the Finals. 

 

Semifinals Game 2...Dallas at Charleston

DALLAS 79, OKLAHOMA CITY 65

DEMONS SWEEP THEIR WAY INTO FINALS

OKLAHOMA CITY -- As expected, the Dallas Demons advanced without a playoff blemish to the Season 46 Finals, the first for the franchise since Season 42 and the first since Hall of Famer Chip Battoe joined the team four seasons ago.

They did so with a 2-0 sweep of Oklahoma City, who they beat fairly handily in Game 2 on the loser's home court, 79-65. 

Having upheld their end of the confrontational bargain, Dallas now awaits the winner of the Sacramento vs. Charleston series, which everyone expects to be the River Dogs, for a Finals Series that has been brewing since Day 1. 

The last time Dallas won the championship (they've won three) was in Season 28. This will be their eigth Finals appearance. This is their third straight playoff appearance, breaking through to the Finals after two tough losses in the Semis in a row. 

Using a revamped stating lineup, the Oklahoma City Lariats put up a bit of a battle in Game 2, thrilling hometown fans with an early lead, then slowly succumbing to the might of the Demons. 

The game took its worst turn for the home team when its MVP of the past two seasons, forward Anurag Dickshit, went down with an early second quarter injury that took him out of the action for the rest of the game.

It was also in that second quarter when Meat Pants Masterson came off the Dallas bench to score a majority of his 16 points, a contribution that should not go unnoticed.

Since winning it all in consecutive seasons in Seasons 41 and 42, the Lariats have been in the playoffs four of the past five seasons but have been unable to get over the first-round hump to return to the Finals.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

The behemoth 7-2 Dallas center GOTOO GROT again captured POG honors for the second straight time, dominating play against the twin 7-foot tandem centers of Oklahoma City. As he did in Game 1, Grot led everyone in scoring with the same total of 19 points, going 8 for 10 from the floor and 3 for 3 from the foul line. The fourth-year giant also matched his Game 1 rebounding total with a game-high (tied)  7, distributed a pair of assists, registered 1 steal and blocked 1 shot. 

Other 20-Plus GVP performers

-- Other than Grot, the only other player in the game to accumulate 20 GVP was last-second Oklahoma City starter Goodbar "Muddy" Masterson, who tied Grot for rebounding honors with 7 while scoring 10 points, dishing 2 assists and getting 1 steal. 

NEXT UP: Sacramento looks to complete its Semifinals sweep of the Charleston Mountaineers in Charleston. The home team is hoping to get at least one more victory with this bunch before its fans with two starters bowing out after this season.

 

Semifinals Game 1...Charleston at Sacramento

SACRAMENTO 66, CHARLESTON 58

R-DOGS 'D' CHEWS UP CHARLESTON 

SACRAMENTO -- The MBA's top two defensive teams grappled and grinded for four quarters tonight, with the Sacramento River Dogs and its 'No. 1 stopper' badge of honor emerging victorious, 66-58 in the first game of this semifinals match-up.

The home team River Dogs harrassed the hell out of Charleston, limiting them to just 42.6 percent shooting. Charleston was almost as audacious defensively, holding Sacramento to 15 points under their season scoring average.

Charleston was very much in the contest right to the end, trailing by just 3 points with 6 time units remaining and needing a stop. Sacramento snuffed the Mountaineers' hopes with a quick bucket on a pass from Great Gruncle Terry to Doo-rag Dripp down low that sealed the deal.

The winners got a good game off the bench from Cremeofsum Yunguy, who contributed 12 points.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Sacramento's stalwart point guard GREAT GRUNCLE TERRY was his reliable self in this playoff opener and the key to the win. The third-year leader directed the attack with a game-high 7 assists while playing excellent defense. The 6-5 Terry scored 13 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and blocked 1 shot. He was 5 for 13 from the floor (2 for 6 from deep, including 1 dunk) and 1 for 2 from the foul line. He's the alpha in this pack.

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES

-- The top scorer on Sacramento all season long was the high-point man for both teams in this game. Doo-rag Dripp piled up 18 points for the victors, also leading both teams in blocked shots with 2 while pulling down 3 rebounds and swiping 1 steal.

-- Hall of Fame center J.J. Gargantuan of Charleston was a defensive madman all game long, shutting out Sacramento's fine center Tree Fiddy and lending a hand on numerous other occasions to thwart other River Dogs would-be scorers. The 9-year pivot also led everyone in rebounds with 9 while scoring the most points (13) for the losing team.

NEXT UP: Oklahoma City returns home to try and fend off elimination against highly favored Dallas after getting smoked in Game 1. After failing to advance beyond the semis the last two seasons, the Demons have their eyes on their first Finals in the four-season Chip Battoe era.

Semifinals Game 1...Oklahoma City at Dallas

DALLAS 102, OKLAHOMA CITY 63

Demons destroy Lariats

DALLAS -- Any thoughts of a possible upset were erased by a Dallas first quarter that put them up by a country mile, 35-17. From then on it was a record-book game, with the home team Demons being urged on by fans hoping to see their team enter either the playoff annals for points scored (110) or the all-time scoring mark of 118.

   Despite a relentless attack that had the visitors reeling, Dallas fell short of both targets; and a further check of the records showed that they came closest (missing by two points) to establishing a new playoff record for biggest massacre (40 points) set by Charleston way way way back in Season 8 over Houston.

   But the MBA's highest scoring squad was still awesome in its efficiency and balance, with 6 players scoring between 15 and 19 points on 68.9 percent shooting as they romped to a convincing Game 1 playoff victory.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Fourth-year Dallas center GOTOO GROT used his overwhelming 7-2 size and jumping ability to post game-highs in both points (19) and rebounds (7) while tying for game-high in assists with 3. The big man was 8 for 11 from the floor, including a slam and a tip try over the diminutive 5-11 Hurricane Furrwizard of Oklahoma City that threatened to take the little guy's head clean off. 

Other 20-plus GVP performers

-- Before fouling out, 11-season Dallas point guard Louie Subgum dominated his man Flip Phelps with a 15-point game that included 2 blocked shots, a steal, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.

-- Dallas shooting guard Bingo Bango scored 16 points, pulled down 3 boards, tied for game-high with 3 assists and had 1 steal.

-- Demons' power forward Tiger Masterson, who has been playing dead for the first seven seasons of his career, continues to make his eighth season an unexpected coming out party. He killed Peter Pizza of Oklahoma City, checking off every statistical column with 17 points, pulling down 3 boards getting 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot.

-- Hall of Fame power forward (and MVP for the fourth time this season) Chip Battoe of Dallas had one of his lesser great games, scoring 16 points, handing out 1 assist, getting 1 steal and leading everyone with 4 blocked shots. 

-- Forward or backward, however you say his first name, Dallas substitute guard Otto Palindrome played brilliantly off the bench for the victors, scoring 15 points and adding 3 rebounds, tying for game-high with 3 assists and getting 1 steal. 

-- Oklahoma City's rookie center Chochky Galumpkus was the sole bright spot among starters in this annihilation. The 7-1 pivot was a perfect 7 for 7 from the field on the way to a team-high 14 points while also leading him team in rebounds with 5. He added 1 assist.

NEXT UP: Charleston(6-4) looks to steal Game 1 against Semifinal favorite Sacramento (9-1) at the Dog Pound. The teams had a playoff preview cross-over contest late in the regular season, where the River Dogs emerged with a 81-70 win; Potus Obama the Player of the Game for the victors.