And then there were two...
The two regular season champions showed some signs of weakness in their conference title games, but by the end of their respective contests, they each showed definitively why they were at the top.
In the Big 8, Those Guys got off to a very slow start, especially on the defensive end, and fell behind 34-27 by the end of the first quarter. However, they got on a huge offensive roll in the second quarter, and played shutdown defense in the third, outscoring the Cannibals 63-37 during that time. From there, they were able to coast to a 19 point victory, 117-98. MVP of the game goes to Pekka Tuokko, who managed 21 points, 21 rebounds, and 5 assists in 35 minutes
On the Great 8 side, 1 seed Muffin Men did not get off to a slow start; instead steadily building up a 12 point lead by the half. However, they had to sustain that lead through a late run by the Miami Nike Elite, who cut the lead to just two posessions. But through one last late surge they were able to shut down the upset bid and win their first division 4 conference title. It's tougher to pick an MVP for this one, but I'm going to give the honor to Jimmy Pereira, who earned a triple double with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.
In the relegation series, quick shout out to the Brooklyn Ascension, who clearly played at a higher level in their series than they had for most of the season and easily earned their right to stay in IV.47 for another season with a 2-0 sweep over the Italian Mobsters.
And now, for the final series of the season:
SEASON 34 IV.47 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
(1 [B8]) THOSE GUYS (23-1) vs (1 [G8]) MUFFIN MEN (21-3)
These teams have a lot in common. They both sit at or near the top of the league in a wide variety of stats. They both have been known to switch between different offensive and defensive schemes depending on the opponent. They both faced an outside-heavy offense in their conference title games, and they both made over 53% of their shots on the offensive end in those games. They also worked their way to the top of their respective conferences in just a few seasons.
Honestly, this matchup is the one that made me most nervous going into the playoffs, simply because they are less predictable than the Cannibals. The Muffin Men also have shown a habit of making steady improvements, and seem to be stronger than they were the last time they matched up against Those Guys. They have three different players averaging a double-double, and players with the ability to put up big numbers scattered all over the court.
However, Those Guys have an X-factor, in the terms of their sheer numbers of strong players. Those Guys work to make sure every member of their 10-man rotation is good enough to compete with any player they may be asked to match up against, and to that end they spend more on their second-string players than any other team except Donner Pass, over twice the league average. As a result, injuries, foul trouble, and players getting tired simply don't affect this team as much as it would others. If someone has an off night, there's more than enough other players available to pick up the slack.
Those Guys are already at a team-record 29 wins on the season. And Muffin Men aren't going to make the finals easy. But they're gonna need a pretty special week to stop their opponents from taking the title.
PREDICTION: THOSE GUYS
Of course, as always I wish Voc the best of luck this week, and since I'm obviously biased I invite any other managers in the league to give their take on the matchup.