BuzzerBeater Forums

*We join Air Allnite with the Linndale GM in a rare one on one interview, in progress*

GM: ”In our last game against the White Walkers, we were pleased with the rebounding, particularly on the offensive end. We knew we were going to have to win the turnover battle, and that it would be tough to do. We just simply could not make any shots. To address the ongoing turnover problem and add some shot making ability, we’ve acquired Rod Guyton. He’s a scorer, an exceptional defender, great ballhandler and a good passer. Now you have to ask yourself how you can cover both Rod and Kyle. That’s not going to be easy at all.”

AA: “That addresses what I’ve been saying about your back court situation nicely.”

GM: “Don’t take credit for things you had nothing to do with. We have a history of adding veterans we think can help us. We’re confident that Guyton is going to an important part of this team for the fooseeable future. It allows us to get Petriukstis and Tovar on the court together more often while resting Kyle and Rod. We just got a big boost on offense and defense because of Rod’s presence.

AA: “Tell me about the Guevara move and Datler’s move.”

GM: “We’re sorry to see Nick Guevara and Balthasar Gebhardt Datler go. With Hearn’s arrival, it got harder and harder to find time for Datler, who needs more playing time to develop. With Nick, it was a chance to profit off our developmental work and open up a path for younger talent. Serkan Sokmen is a younger talent we liked, and we pounced at the opportunity to bring him into the fold.”

AA: “So what I’m getting here is that my calls on Guevara and Datler were correct.”

GM: “Not like you think. The Guevara move made sense because we were confident in bringing in someone with a higher ceiling, and ultimately did with Sokmen. We see Sokmen playing some small and power forward at times. Offensively, he’s ahead of Reese and Reynolds. It actually deepens the defensive rotations available, as Reese is a plus defender. The Datler move was just as simple. We made a small profit, he’s able to get playing time elsewhere, and there was no need to have him if he couldn’t find time behind Sanz Garcaa and Hearn. You really have to stop taking credit for things you have nothing to do with.”

AA: “I disagree. The Guyton move effectively removes Nguyen from the backcourt until he develops. I said he shouldn’t be anywhere near a playoff team. I said Guevara wasn’t good, and Datler was simply a sale piece. Sokmen removes Reese from the rotation, while keeping him available if you need defense. All of these points are points I made, so it seems you’ve addressed almost everything I find wrong with this team. Unfortunately, you still have Reina as coach, and those moves aren’t enough to get you into the playoffs.”

GM: “Our fans know what kind of coach Pio is, and they’re quite glad he’s here!”

AA: “Your fans don’t know anything; they’re stupid!”

GM: “Why are you so hateful? Why do complain about everyone and everything? It’s one thing to go on about the team and players, and even the organization. I get it; that’s your job. I draw the line when you start attacking our fans. You are a sad, caustic, unlikeable human being. Thanks for having me, but this interview is over now.”

Watching on television in Pio's office, Coach just simply raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised", he began, "that he lasted as long as he did before he walked out."

Pio answered. "Still think I need to lighten up and give that guy a chance? He's a miserable piece of ---""

"Don't finish that," Coach interrupted. "You're letting him in your head and you'll say something you'll regret. Save you hotheadedness for the referees. That guy will just use it for fuel. Don't give it to him."

*We now join the Linndale Basketball Post Game Show in progress*

HO: “Pio, the team felt different with Hearn on the court, but tonight with Guyton and Sokmen in addition to Hearn, there was a more intense vibe. How have thins changed since their arrival?”

PR: “We went from trying to get the offense to fit around Hearn to making the defense around him better and figuring out the offense after that. As you know Happy, we’ve always had pride in our defense; that’s an organizational thing from back when I played. We looked and said we’ve got some pretty good players here, so let’s just let them ball how they ball.”

MR: “Pio, you point out defense being a pride thing for Linndale, and I can attest that also as a former player. However, you have some capable offensive threats in Guyton, Knowles, Tovar and Kamp. What changes can we expect to see on offense?”

PR: “Marshall, that’s going to change based on how we perceive our opponents strength and what we think will be effective. Having said that, we have to stay true to our strength. Right now, that strength is unfamiliarity. We have a group learning each other, and if we don’t know what to expect, our opponents can’t either. It could be Tovar going for 30, or Kamp, or Knowles for 45, or Guyton.”

AA: “Reina, you got a win back tonight, but may have lost your best player. What’s the update on Hearn, and why was he on the court at that point of the game?”

PR: “Floyd is fine. He took a shot, and we got him out the game. He was coming out anyway at the next opportunity, but he was out there because he was out there defending our opponent’s best player. Where was Armstead at the end of the game? Wasn’t he on the court playing? Why wouldn’t I want my best player on the court defending him when possible?”

HO: “Philly dealt 209 a blow with a win, Carolina survived the Fondy Cardinals, and San Dominica held on despite a surprisingly tough game from the Flamin’Flamingos. What hope does that give you and the team regarding a playoff run?”

PR: “We’re not thinking playoffs; we’re thinking about winning the next game. We expect to be in the playoffs. That’s the expectation. To get there, we have to keep wining. What Fondy Cardinals and the Flamin’ Flamingos showed you is how incredibly difficult that task is going to be. We can’t afford to look past anyone, and I assure you we won’t. We’re going to try and take care of our business. We’ll think about the playoffs when we get there.”

AA: “What makes you think you’re even getting in to the playoffs? Every team ahead of or tied with you record wise is left. Granted you just beat Lion Rebels, but they have to fall apart fantastically to not make it. You practically have to win out, and you also have the two spirited opponents left in Fondy and the Flamingos. Why do you think you are getting in the playoffs?”

PR: “As I’ve stated, the playoffs are the expectation. I’ve said in public, I’ve said it in private, I’ve told the team repeatedly, and I’ve said it here tonight on air. Now, you don’t have to believe me, and it’s clear you don’t. That’s fine, but it doesn’t change our expectation. The goal is to get in. Once we’re in, we’ll take our chances against anyone. We’re not backing down. We know we have to win to get in. So, you could say that every game is a playoff game for us. We won. We have to win some more. We don’t have the luxury of a loss not hurting us. It’s literally win or go home for us. I live here near Linndale; I’m not going anywhere. I expect my team isn’t ready to go anywhere yet, either. You’ll have to ask them yourself.”

Last edited by Speedtraps at 4/8/2023 10:28:03 PM

Hunt Mosley:
I'm Hunt Mosley and he's the one and only Mr. Double Double himself, Bret Rodriguez and you're listening/watching the Warriors Post Game Report. Okay pretty much the sum up of this game is this, Warriors down by 10 at the end of the 3rd Quarter. Looks like the start of the final seven game stretch is going to start with an L and then, middle of the 4th, the Warriors start doing that hoodoo that we've seen them do before

Late in the 4th, Blanchet pass to Bermudez, who slams it in and we're tied at 90. But this had been a back and worth game and the Flamingos were not going away. The Pink Flames would go on a run. Now Flamingos up 10, 109 to 99, 4:17 left. Marquez, finds Valladares for the put in. Then Tercero. Warriors going with the Point Forward approach and it paid off. LAB going to work. 3 pointer 109-104. Warriors making stops, Granja making Rivas miss. Marquez again feeding Tercero, 109-106. Warriors get another stop and more of the Big Man Dime Sweepstakes only this time its Tercero feeding Marquez. A nine point run to put it within one.

Just under 3 minutes, LAB from Granja. Count it! 110 to 109 and from there the Warriors would keep rising while the Flamingos kept fading. The Pinks would score just once more and the Warriors would hit from the Charity Line to win 118 to 111

Bret, we talked to Coach earlier this week and he said the goal was to go 4-3 down the final stretch. Just go 4-3 and everything will be fine.

Bret Rodriguez
Yeah, they're 14-2 now and if they go 3-3 the rest of the way they're end up 17-5. Philly won the top seed in the conference last season with that same record and it would put the Warrior two wins better than last season's 15-7. So not a bad goal.

Hunt Mosley
Now some would say why have a goal of 4-3. Why not strive to win them all and I would say look, Everyone. Everyone who knows anything about this league knows the Warrior's biggest strength is the depth of their bench. It's the reason why they can play at such a high pace! We saw it in effect tonight. Marquez and Tercero were a big part of that final run that put the Warriors over late in the fourth. Obviously Coach wants that bench as intact as possible. We saw it against Philly, we saw it against the Tardisicles and we saw it tonight. Warriors basically coming back from the dead and every time that bench has been involved.

Bret Rodriguez
I'm one hundred percent with you on that. Coach is seeing the big picture. if 4-3 assures that that unit of Ali Baba, East, Tercero and Marquez can come off intact in the playoffs Coach is gonna go 4-3. Right now they have the luxury of being able to go 4-3. Again right now 14-2, Lindale did us a huge favor in beating the Lion Rebels, that gives us a little bit more room. Though I'm sure Coach Pio is gonna not give a rats about the fact that it helps us. He wants his team in the playoffs.

Hunt Mosley
Coach has just made his way to the podium and we're take you back to the SMG.




Last edited by Coach Stephenson at 4/9/2023 2:40:50 AM

1st Reporter
Coach, what was the mindset, down by 10 in the fourth?

Coach Stephenson
Nothing special really. Hmm. Start of the fourth quarter we were like look. First time we played these guys we were not sure of who this team was. Now. Right now, we know who this team. If you're in this uniform, right here right now. You know your place, you know your role on this team. And this is our house! That's was it.

2nd reporter
The bench came up big. Especially Tercero down in the final 5 minutes. Was there a strategy for putting him in the point forward position tonight.

Coach Stephenson
We had looked at a lot of things. Prepping for this game. Hmm the weird thing about the Flamingos is that in many ways they're almost a reflection of our squad. So its interesting coming up with defensive plans. But no hmm we just wanted to have a wingspan advantage when our bench came on. Plus Miguel had/has been showing some real improvement on the defensive and offensive end backcourt wise so we decided to utilize it.

3rd Reporter
You guys are in the last stretch of the season. Is there a more incentive to win out or are you guys more concern about being healthy?

Coach Stephenson
You want to win them all of course, but number 1 goal is make the playoffs. Number 2 thing be as healthy as possible when making the playoffs. Right now we in a good position. 14-2. Hmm did the Lions win?

1st reporter
They lost

Coach Stephenson
So 14-2, and with a little bit more breathing room for the time being thanks to that loss. (chuckles) I may have to send Coach Pio some flowers though he'll probably just send them right back.

4th Reporter
No love lost between you two?

Coach Stephenson
Oh no i got mad respect for Pio. It's just Pio has never been the most sentimental guy in the league (laughs). Have you talked with Pio Reina?

4th reporter
Never have

Coach Stephenson
Probably for the best. He's not a big media guy. Hmm. Straight to the point. No jokes. No banter. Just Joe Friday just the facts kind of guy. But I'm side tracking. No we want to win them all but in this league with these opponents you gonna have a bad day or two. Thing is to be in a position where a bad day can be shrugged off and not be a "OMG what do we do now" moment. Tonight we got the win. 1-0. Six left to go. Glad we don't have to worry about facing the Flamingos again.

2nd reporter
No grudge? These guys did beat you earlier in the season.

Coach Stephenson
You always wanna win. Now granted you don't want to go 0-2 in a series if you don't have to, but the Flamingos are more than their record. Like I said roster wise they match up initial five wise to us very very well. Scarily well. Now bench wise right now I think the basketball gods would weigh in our favor. Now 209. Oooh boy. If the Flamingos are a reflection of us lineup, the 209 are a reflection of our offensive strategy. They only have one word and that's go. So that's going to be a challenge despite the fact we beat them earlier in the year because now they're just Mongo mad now.

4th Reporter
Mongo mad?

Coach Stephenson
(baffled) Yeah Mongo. (pause) Blazing Saddles. Big guy who punches horses. (pause) Don't shoot him you'll just make him angry. (longer pause before a long chuckle) Okay that. That is probably the perfect point to end this on. (shakes his head). Thank you guys.

Coach Stephenson shakes his head as he leaves the podium.

Last edited by Coach Stephenson at 4/9/2023 4:23:31 AM

Happy Ourer: “Welcome to a special Sunday afternoon edition of the Pio Reina Show on WINO Radio. I’m Happy Ourer, your host, along with the man himself, Linndale basketball coach Pio Reina! Coach Reina, how are you feeling after last night’s win?”

Pio Reina: “I’m feeling pretty good. We feel good about the direction we’re heading in, the team feels good about their play, defensively we feel like we are as close to locked in as we’ve been all season. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re close and we get a little closer each week.”

HO: “How about on the offensive end? Where do things stand there?”

PR: “On the offensive end, guys just need time to get used to playing together. I know our GM is always on the lookout for someone who fits with what we do, so there is always the chance that we add another player to the mix. Having said that, we like who we have and where we are right now.”

HO: “Last night saw the debut of Rod Guyton and Serkan Sokmen. What should fans know about the two newest members of the team?”

PR: “Rod is a special talent. He is a shooter the likes of which we haven’t seen very often around these parts. How good is he? Kyle Knowles became arguably the second best shooter on the team. I think Kyle’s jumper is a bit better, but Rod has more range. Throw in Shooter to that conversation, and I expect that shooting contests after practice just got more interesting.”

HO: “Tell us about Serkan Sokmen.”

PR: “He can shoot and defend both the perimeter and the paint. He loves to attack in transition, he’s effective on the glass. As with any young player, and remember he’s 23, he’s got a few things to tighten up and we’ll get that done.”

HO: “San Dominica’s Coach Stephenson had some kind words for you after San Dominica’s victory over the Flaming Flamingos.”

PR: “Coach Stephenson has done an incredible job there. I appreciate what he said and I have much respect for him. I wish Coach Stephenson and his team well. I’m not just saying that because they are in position to aid our playoff hunt. We’ll see him April 25th. I expect they’ll want to beat us just as they have nearly every other opponent they’ve faced.”

HO: “Tell us about your next opponents, the Flamin’ Flamingos.”

PR: “That’s an underrated team. They brought the fight to San Dominica, but they couldn’t finish them off. At the same time, the mark of a good team is finding a way to win. San Dominica turned the defensive intensity up in the fourth quarter and got it done.”

HO: “What do you have to do to win?”

PR: “We can’t let Li See Yan and Darnell Rivas run wild. We have to control the boards. We have to take care of the basketball, and most importantly, we have to score more than they do.”

HO: “With 5 games left in the season, some fans are wondering if we’ll see one of the infamous Linndale ‘backwards game’ that’s become an annual tradition. It seems that the fans enjoy it and the players enjoy it as well. Can you explain the thought behind those games and let the fans know if we will see that this season?”

PR: “I don’t know if we’ll see it this season. If there’s a backwards game this season, it means we’ve secured a playoff spot or we’ve been officially knocked out of the chase. Now the thought behind the game is actually quite simple. To do it right, you need to have bigs capable of guarding the perimeter. Your guards take on the defensive assignment of the bigs. You go full bore, run and gun/full court press. The idea is that your guards will force turnovers when the ball gets down low, and on offense those bigs have to cover the guards on the perimeter. A classic example was the September 10, 2022 game against Hustlas in season 58. On paper, Hustlas should have squashed us. Go check the box score and see the turnovers. 22 of the 30 they had that night was in the front court. 15 of our 25 steals were by frontcourt players. That made up for the advantage they got on the boards."

PR: "15 of our 25 steals were by frontcourt players. That made up for the advantage they got on the boards. We got plenty of shots up that night. Just needed 1 more to fall.”

HO: “I remember that game. That game had an incredible performance from Kyle Knowles and Paul Lutz.”

PR: “It had a purpose though. That week, we used it to train guards on the inside game. You could also use it for training ball handling, passing, or outside defense for the bigs, and there’s a couple of different ways to go about that. I’ll leave that to the audience’s imagination. That game, for that set of circumstances, might have been the perfect storm. That’s why both the players and fans love the backwards game. You don’t know when it’s coming and you want to see that kind of game happen again.”

HO: “So are there any bigs who can play on the perimeter defensively?”

PR: “We have a few candidates. Also, we have a few candidates in the backcourt that could play in the frontcourt defensively. Happy, anything is possible. For those anxiously awaiting the backwards game, all I can say is stay tuned. I can’t promise you’ll get one this season, but I also can’t promise you won’t.”

HO: “Looking at the schedule, disregarding scrimmages, it seems the best chance for the backwards game would be the sesaon finale against Fondy Cardinals.”

PR: “If we’re in the playoffs, it’s possible. If we’re not, it’s possible. I honestly think this hunt for the last spot won’t be decided until the last game of the season. I believe Fondy will be playing to knock us out of a playoff spot, and I think there will be a few games like that. San Dominica versus Philly Dribble, Lion Rebels versus Carolina Rebels, 209’s Most Wanted versus Flaming Flamingos could all be win or go home situations. There is a chance that the number two team in the Big 8 does not make the playoffs. Think about that for a second. That’s how competitive things are here. A team with a 2 game lead for the 2nd spot in the playoffs could miss the playoffs entirely. There’s going to be 2 good basketball teams going home. We expect to be in the playoffs. We will do whatever it takes to get in. If you think a backwards game is on the table, you’ve then got to figure out how to prepare for it. But then sometimes you just gotta throw your best fastball and tell the other guys ‘here it is, hit it if you can’. No one’s seen our best fastball yet. You might have seen our best fastball at that specific time, but we’re better than we were at the start of the season, at the quarter pole, or even at the all star break, and we keep getting better."

HO: "We look forward to seeing that contiued growth and watching the run to the playoffs unfold. Pio, as always it's a pleasure. We thank you for your time and we'll see you next week on the Pio Reina Show. Folks, Tuesday night's game against the Flamin' Flamingos is not going to be a walk in the park. Tune in for all the action, and the pre game and postgame shows here on WINO radio! This is THE FLAGSHIP HOME of the Linndale Basketball Network."

Last edited by Speedtraps at 4/9/2023 5:34:19 PM

Was too busy last week to get any commentary written on last week's games, but here is where the power rankings were before Saturday's games:

1. San Dominica Warriors (1)
2. The White Walkers (2)
3. Lion Rebels (3)
4. Philly Dribble (4)
5. Miami Cleo (6)
6. 209's MostWanted (7)
7. Tasty Tardsicles (5)
8. Żubr Białystok (9)
9. Carolina Rebels (10)
10. Linndale (8)
11. Flamin' Flamingos (11)
12. The Beer Bellys (12)
13. Fondy Cardinals (13)
14. Hustlas (14)
15. STG on MCU (15)
16. Cincinnati Slammers (16)

Obviously I'm expecting some things to change over the final weeks of the season with some of the moves made recently (Case in point, Linndale's thwomping of my Lion Rebels Saturday night). Best of luck Tuesday!

Day 16 (Saturday 8 April 2023) : Performances by (https://www.buzzer-manager.com)

Night results
209’s MostWanted 117 - Philly Dribble 133
Flamin' Flamingos 111 - San Dominica Warriors 118
Lion Rebels 71 - Linndale 89
Carolina Rebels 87 - Fondy Cardinals 86
Tasty Tardsicles 108 - Miami Cleo 91
Hustlas 89 - The White Walkers 124
STG on MCU 138 - Cincinnati Slammers 72
Żubr Białystok 116 - The Beer Bellys 121

Best collective performance of the evening
Points : 138 : STG on MCU
Rebounds : 64 : The Beer Bellys
Assists : 37 : STG on MCU
Steals : 17 : STG on MCU
Block Shots : 10 : STG on MCU, The White Walkers

Personal best performances of the evening
Points : 37 : R. Ainsworth (Cincinnati Slammers)
Rebounds : 26 : S. Klin (Hustlas)
Assists : 9 : É. Blanchet (San Dominica Warriors), M. Marsh (STG on MCU)
Steals : 4 : H. Quindós (Żubr Białystok)
Block Shots : 4 : G. Locus (Miami Cleo), H. Espinosa (Carolina Rebels), S. Klin (Hustlas), J. Delaire (Flamin' Flamingos)

Top 5 of the evening
Point Guard : B. Öc (STG on MCU) (21 Points, 4 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 2 Steals, 2 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 31
Shooting Guard : V. Štiberc (The White Walkers) (28 Points, 5 Rebounds, 1 Assists, 1 Steals, 1 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 29
Small Forward : M. Marsh (STG on MCU) (29 Points, 11 Rebounds, 9 Assists, 2 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 47
Power Forward : N. Kackis (209’s MostWanted) (29 Points, 17 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 0 Steals, 3 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 40
Center : D. Allen (Carolina Rebels) (16 Points, 17 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 0 Steals, 0 Block Shots), S. Klin (Hustlas) (13 Points, 26 Rebounds, 0 Assists, 1 Steals, 4 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 31

MVP of the evening
M. Marsh (STG on MCU) (29 Points, 11 Rebounds, 9 Assists, 2 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 47

The bad performance of the evening
A. Reese (Linndale) (0 Points, 2 Rebounds, 0 Assists, 0 Steals, 1 Block Shots) : Efficiency : -5

All kinds of statistics
The player who forgot to remove his mittens : Y. Skilas (The Beer Bellys) : 8 Turnovers

Player targeted by the referees : A. Varpukevicius (Miami Cleo), H. Quindós (Żubr Białystok), Z. Carr (Cincinnati Slammers) : 6 Personnal Fouls

The iron-man : G. Locus (Miami Cleo), K. Brown (Lion Rebels), R. Ainsworth (Cincinnati Slammers), B. Rivas (Cincinnati Slammers), U. Barbarossa (Cincinnati Slammers), D. Christopher (Cincinnati Slammers) : 48 Minutes

The shooter : Y. Georgoulis (The Beer Bellys) : 6 Three points

The best performer : V. Papageorgiou (The White Walkers) : Rating : 17.0

The worst performer : D. Christopher (Cincinnati Slammers) : Rating : 2.5

“Air Allnite here with a very depressing state of the team. Well, it’s not depressing for me; I stand by my assertion that this Linndale basketball team is not a playoff team. I’ve seen nothing to make me change my mind. Let’s start with tonight’s victory over the Flamin’ Flamingos; Pio Reina said in a recent interview that Li See Yan and Darrell Rivas could not run wild and that Linndale had to take care of the basketball. Well, the basketball was not taken care of, Rivas was very close to a triple double, and how did Salehuddin Aldino score 31 on the allegedly great Floyd Hearn? I was told Floyd Hearn was a defensive monster. Aldino shot over 50% and scored 31 points. Where was the defense?”

“Meanwhile, Kyle Knowles had a poor shooting game, going 14 of 34 to score 34 points. Then there’s Rod Guyton; I thought he was supposed to be some kind of amazing scorer. He has 3 40-point and a 50 point game this season in whatever league he came from. Here, he has an 11 point game and an 18 point game; big whoop. It was a very lackluster performance against a team they should beat. Now, let’s see what the schedule has left: 209’s Most Wanted and Philly Dribble come to town. 209 won by 21 in the earlier meeting while Philly won by 17 earlier. Now can anyone tell me the last time Linndale beat Philly Dribble? There was a win in season 58, and one in season 57. That is it. I’m supposed to believe that this team is going to beat those two teams, and Carolina? Even if they do---and they won’t---, but let’s say they do… you then have to beat San Dominica. You expect me to believe this Linndale team is going to beat those teams all in a row? That’s not happening; but I’m a sporting fellow, so let’s bring in Marshall Richards to tell me why I’m wrong.”

“Thank you, Air. Why are you wrong? First, no one said they had to win every game; that just happens to be the path of least resistance. Even with that, is it possible Linndale might need help from another team? No. If the team wins, they are in. How do you win? Rebound the basketball helps, and since Floyd Hearn has arrived and the team has paired him with Ramon Sanz Garcaa up front, rebounding has dramatically improved. Don't be surprised to see Hearn with another game of 25 rebounds and Sanz Garcaa with 17 like they did tonight. The duo outrebounded the Flamingos 42-36, and 17-14 just on the offensive boards. You also take care of the basketball. This has been a point of concern for Linndale all season, and they have worked diligently to address it. Against the full court press, only turned the ball over 11 times. That’s phenomenal. What else do you have to do? Knock down the free throws. Linndale went 15 of 17 at the charity stripe. What’s another tool in the arsenal for Linndale? Three point shooting. Linndale is 3rd in the league in 3 point shooting percentage, and they sit 1 point behind the number 2 team, San Dominica. The other thing you have to do to win is score while keeping your opponent from doing the same. Linndale has played 7 games with Hearn in the lineup; remember, he was out for 2 weeks when they acquired him. Before he got here, Linndale had given up 100 points or more 5 times in league play. In those 7 games with Hearn in the lineup, no one has scored 100 points against them. They’ve gone 6-1 when Hearn is on the floor. Also, in those wins, Tovar, Knowles, and Kamp have each led the team in scoring twice. They don’t care who gets the ball in the bucket for them, but they do care about keeping you from putting the ball in the bucket. I think outside of the White Walkers, this is the one team you don’t want to see coming.”

“Marshall, that is preposterous! I’ll tell you why when we return after the commercial break!”

Day 17 (Tuesday 11 April 2023) : Performances by (https://www.buzzer-manager.com)

Night results
San Dominica Warriors 91 - 209’s MostWanted 83
Linndale 102 - Flamin' Flamingos 90
Fondy Cardinals 95 - Lion Rebels 136
Philly Dribble 90 - Carolina Rebels 106
The White Walkers 84 - Tasty Tardsicles 72
Cincinnati Slammers 78 - Hustlas 123
The Beer Bellys 120 - STG on MCU 103
Miami Cleo 63 - Żubr Białystok 90

Best collective performance of the evening
Points : 136 : Lion Rebels
Rebounds : 82 : Tasty Tardsicles
Assists : 29 : Lion Rebels
Steals : 14 : Hustlas
Block Shots : 9 : Lion Rebels

Personal best performances of the evening
Points : 36 : K. Brown (Lion Rebels)
Rebounds : 25 : F. Hearn (Linndale)
Assists : 9 : É. Blanchet (San Dominica Warriors)
Steals : 5 : A. Vicys (The White Walkers), G. Denković (Hustlas)
Block Shots : 5 : F. Hearn (Linndale)

Top 5 of the evening
Point Guard : L. Bernaerts (The Beer Bellys) (25 Points, 3 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 2 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 29
Shooting Guard : K. Brown (Lion Rebels) (36 Points, 2 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 0 Steals, 1 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 39
Small Forward : M. Slakteris (Hustlas) (18 Points, 8 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 2 Steals, 2 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 26
Power Forward : F. Hearn (Linndale) (14 Points, 25 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 0 Steals, 5 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 43
Center : C. Riggins (Żubr Białystok) (21 Points, 13 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 1 Steals, 3 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 40

MVP of the evening
F. Hearn (Linndale) (14 Points, 25 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 0 Steals, 5 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 43

The bad performance of the evening
G. Kostezer (Fondy Cardinals) (5 Points, 4 Rebounds, 1 Assists, 0 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : -8

All kinds of statistics
The player who forgot to remove his mittens : J. Makeba (Tasty Tardsicles) : 8 Turnovers

Player targeted by the referees : P. Cheatle (Miami Cleo), N. Kackis (209’s MostWanted), G. Bermudez (San Dominica Warriors), A. Nikitinas (Tasty Tardsicles), M. Anwander (Fondy Cardinals), G. Kostezer (Fondy Cardinals), J. Delaire (Flamin' Flamingos) : 5 Personnal Fouls

The iron-man : G. Locus (Miami Cleo), C. Wui Kwong (Tasty Tardsicles), S. Hollins (Lion Rebels), S. Hatch (Żubr Białystok), N. Hidasi (Żubr Białystok), P. Stevens (Cincinnati Slammers) : 48 Minutes

The shooter : K. Brown (Lion Rebels) : 7 Three points

The best performer : T. Armstead (Lion Rebels) : Rating : 19.0

The worst performer : E. Cristofaro (The White Walkers) : Rating : 2.0

Week Nine Power Rankings
We seem to have settled into a groove of sorts, at least in regard to the power rankings for the season. Very little movement in rankings for each efficiency category this week, with only two teams moving at least two spots in defensive efficiency and only one team moving at least two spots in offensive efficiency. Only changes come in spots 5-9 and then 11 & 12 this week. So, in light of that, I'm going to be switching it up and giving an "eye test" power rankings, sometimes confused with the "sniff test" which is not the same thing. In this round of power rankings, I'm evaluating the teams by their record and scoring differential, a very "Joe the Bloke Sports Fan" type of ranking. Without further ado:

1. The White Walkers
Sure, they lost to Coach Stephenson, but that was on the road, clear back in March - are you really gonna tell me the Walking Dead aren't going to eat anyone alive if they've got home court advantage in a three game finals? Plus, new arrival Antanas Vicys has scored 43 points in two league games, shooting 59% to go along with a 15.75 rating. They won't lose another game in the regular season and are pretty much a lock for the finals.

2. San Dominica Warriors
Listen, their 2 loss record is based on a fluke: #1, the Pink Flames had no business knocking them off to start the season by one point at the buzzer. #2, while it seems like Carolina classically outmatched them in their second loss, PG Étienne Blanchet seems to be their liability. He shot 12.5% from the field that night on 16 shots, but with 150 shots under his belt on the season coupled with a 30% shooting average, the only way he contributes is if he's getting his assists (currently #35 in assists in all of USA Div. III). Most nights, he's getting his and with their defense, I don't think anyone can beat them.

3. Lion Rebels
We're about to find out if the Lion Rebels are For Real. While they had a nice start to the season and surprised some people, they've got a three game gauntlet followed by a fourth Can't Look Past Them game against the Flamingos on the road before finishing again on the road against the Other Rebels. They could easily lose four out of the last five and expose their manager as a FRAUD.

4. Philly Dribble
Sure, they're currently 5th in the Big 8 with a 10-7 record, but Phil_Wings and Philly Dribble is kinda like Bill Belichick and the Patriots - even though they're down, you can't ever count them out. I wouldn't be surprised if they went on a tear to finish 15-7. Can't count 'em out, Dutch.

5. Żubr Białystok
Whitestok's group has been scrappy and their steady training regimen has been starting to pay dividends with the likes of Shaun Hatch and Markus Grimm about to come into their own to lead this team. Yeah, they've lost 7 games, including their last one to The Beer Bellys, but 5 of those 7 losses were by a total of 21 points. They've lost some close ones and if just four of those games were flipped, they'd be sitting even better at the 2nd spot in their conference.

6. 209's MostWanted
Yeah, yeah, yeah - they say defense wins championships. But have you seen this team score points? I mean, they SCORE POINTS. They shoot 44% from the field, including 41.6% from three on nearly 20 threes a night. Sure, they might not be able to stop anyone, BUT WHO'S GONNA STOP THEM? Case Closed.

7. Carolina Rebels
Don't look now, but Carolina's on a 7 game win streak after hitting the .500 mark in pursuit of the Cup. Sure they've had some close games, but if they weren't so sidetracked by the Cup, I'd bet they'd have at least 14 wins. They might not be able to beat San Dominica, but after handling Philly, who's to say that can't be world beaters?