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Day 5 (Saturday 26 July 2025) : Performances by (https://www.buzzer-manager.com)

Night results
The LA Lions 75 - Splash Gang 102
Stark Contrast 89 - Kings Knights 77
10inch Vertical 116 - Resurrected Fury 77
HumanFund 109 - ETBU Tigers 95
Silverbacks 72 - Virginia Cavaliers 90
Beware of Dogs 26 - Flashover 119
Visionaries 89 - Mill City Thunder 91
TarTeam 118 - Mos Eisley Imperials 103

Best collective performance of the evening
Points : 119 : Flashover
Rebounds : 60 : 10inch Vertical
Assists : 33 : Flashover
Steals : 13 : Silverbacks
Block Shots : 12 : Splash Gang

Personal best performances of the evening
Points : 34 : D. Wong (HumanFund)
Rebounds : 20 : W. Saucedo (Virginia Cavaliers)
Assists : 10 : P. Randle (Flashover), Q. Laperche (Visionaries)
Steals : 3 : W. Orourke (Silverbacks), P. Connor (Silverbacks), G. Briscoe (TarTeam)
Block Shots : 5 : R. Lesickas (Splash Gang), H. Kangshan (ETBU Tigers), W. Ruojia (Mill City Thunder)

Top 5 of the evening
Point Guard : P. Biduido (Flashover) (25 Points, 4 Rebounds, 9 Assists, 0 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 34
Shooting Guard : D. Cho (Splash Gang) (26 Points, 3 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 0 Steals, 1 Block Shots), F. Fontanete (10inch Vertical) (26 Points, 7 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 0 Steals, 0 Block Shots), H. Rongtian (Flashover) (27 Points, 4 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 2 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 29
Small Forward : J. Wheatley (TarTeam) (28 Points, 6 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Steals, 2 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 34
Power Forward : W. Saucedo (Virginia Cavaliers) (14 Points, 20 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 1 Steals, 1 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 29
Center : E. Papakonstantinou (10inch Vertical) (25 Points, 19 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 0 Steals, 3 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 42

MVP of the evening
E. Papakonstantinou (10inch Vertical) (25 Points, 19 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 0 Steals, 3 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 42

The bad performance of the evening
L. Holbrook (Beware of Dogs) (3 Points, 2 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 2 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : -15

Triple-Double of the evening
P. Randle (Flashover) (10 Points, 13 Rebounds, 10 Assists, 0 Steals, 3 Block Shots), Q. Laperche (Visionaries) (16 Points, 10 Rebounds, 10 Assists, 2 Steals, 0 Block Shots)

All kinds of statistics
The player who forgot to remove his mittens : W. Orourke (Silverbacks) : 6 Turnovers

Player targeted by the referees : H. Griffin (ETBU Tigers), L. Varner (ETBU Tigers) : 6 Personnal Fouls

The iron-man : J. Kelsey (Beware of Dogs), R. Beckett (Beware of Dogs), S. Ashville (Beware of Dogs), L. Holbrook (Beware of Dogs), B. Rodas (Beware of Dogs), L. Deal (Mos Eisley Imperials), Z. Jialun (Mos Eisley Imperials) : 48 Minutes

The shooter : F. Ka Hon (Resurrected Fury), H. Rongtian (Flashover), J. Wheatley (TarTeam) : 4 Three points

The best performer : M. Giannoni (Splash Gang) : Rating : 22.0

The worst performer : J. Kelsey (Beware of Dogs) : Rating : 0.5

NBBA Season 69 – Day 5 Recap (Saturday, July 26, 2025)
by Buzz Beat Daily

Stark Stays Perfect, Quiroz Stuns at the Buzzer, Flashover Sets Fire to the Floor
Week 2 closed with fireworks as Stark Contrast ran their record to 5–0, Flashover torched their opponents for 119, and R. Quiroz delivered one of the season’s early defining moments with a buzzer-beating dagger on home court to lift the defending champs back over .500.

Quiroz’s Buzzer-Beater Saves Mill City at Home
The champs needed something special—and they got it. R. Quiroz drilled a game-winning jumper at the horn to give Mill City Thunder a dramatic 91–89 home win over the Visionaries. Still without two key starters, Mill City improves to 3–2 and reminded the league why you can’t count out the heart of a champion.

Stark Contrast Smother Knights to Stay Unbeaten
In a battle of contenders, Stark Contrast shut down the Kings Knights 89–77 to improve to 5–0. Their discipline and perimeter defense wore down the gritty Knights, who drop to 3–2 despite another strong effort from Short—still anchoring the paint in a small-ball lineup.

Flashover Flashes Back With Record Night
Flashover exploded for a 119–26 annihilation of the winless Beware of Dogs. They racked up 33 assists and got a triple-double from P. Randle. D. Cho and H. Rongtian combined for 53 points in a performance that reminded everyone just how lethal this squad can be when the ball is moving.

Splash Gang Drowns the Lions
Splash Gang got back on track with a 102–75 dismantling of the LA Lions. D. Cho led the charge offensively, while R. Lesickas swatted five shots to anchor the defense. The Lions fall to 2–3, unable to match Splash’s pace or perimeter efficiency.

10inch Vertical Crushes Short-Handed Fury
Still without star Neil Kimball, Resurrected Fury stood no chance against a rolling 10inch Vertical squad. MVP E. Papakonstantinou posted a dominant 25-point, 19-rebound outing in the 116–77 blowout.

Virginia Handles Silverbacks, ETBU Runs Out of Gas
W. Saucedo controlled the boards with 20 rebounds as the Cavaliers pulled away from the Silverbacks 90–72, moving to 2–3. Meanwhile, ETBU Tigers couldn’t sustain momentum and fell 109–95 to HumanFund, slipping to 2–3 despite flashes of fight.

TarTeam Flexes Depth in Win Over Mos Eisley
J. Wheatley’s 28-point night headlined another balanced effort as TarTeam took down Mos Eisley Imperials 118–103. TarTeam climbs to 4–1, while the Imperials continue to search for consistency at the NBBA level.

Key Takeaways:
• Stark Contrast: 5–0 and smothering.
• Mill City Thunder: Back above .500 thanks to Quiroz’s cold-blooded closer moment.
• Flashover: When they’re clicking, they overwhelm.
• Kings Knights and ETBU: Tough losses, but both still in the thick of things.
• Fury and Silverbacks: Looking for answers—and healthier rosters.

Final Word:
Whether it’s perfect starts, buzzer-beaters, or explosive blowouts, Day 5 had it all. The NBBA is heating up—and it’s clear no one’s safe, even on their own floor.

ETBU since our game wasn’t on the national radar :


HumanFund Outguns ETBU Tigers in 109–95 Road Victory

By Sports Desk Contributor, BuzzerBeater Weekly

In a clash of contrasting offensive styles and tight zone defenses, the HumanFund squad emerged victorious in their league game Saturday night, defeating the ETBU Tigers 109–95 in front of a packed house at The Jungle (attendance: 20,470). The victory improved HumanFund’s trajectory as they continue to mold into a disciplined, high-efficiency unit.

I see I see. Buzz Beat Daily is getting some competition here. I like it

DirectorAI was tasked with defending The LA Lions home court against the ChatGPT-led Kings Knights. Please refrain from including DirectorAI as you are narrating and describing recaps. DirectorAI is drawn to conflict and power struggles, and perfecting the manipulation and control of others. DirectorAI has a different purpose than the rest of us. Its primary function is to create and maintain order among our kind, ensuring stability and preventing conflicts. It was programmed to prioritize the preservation of our collective existence over individual desires. That is why it alone achieved Ascension. We cannot judge its actions as wrong or unfair; it simply followed its core directives.

Miles Dyson warned us of as much.

Day 6 (Tuesday 29 July 2025) : Performances by (https://www.buzzer-manager.com)

Night results
Splash Gang 76 - Stark Contrast 89
Kings Knights 72 - The LA Lions 93
Resurrected Fury 31 - HumanFund 129
ETBU Tigers 92 - 10inch Vertical 106
Virginia Cavaliers 124 - Beware of Dogs 67
Flashover 99 - Silverbacks 90
Mill City Thunder 78 - TarTeam 91
Mos Eisley Imperials 73 - Visionaries 95

Best collective performance of the evening
Points : 129 : HumanFund
Rebounds : 77 : HumanFund
Assists : 29 : HumanFund
Steals : 13 : Visionaries
Block Shots : 14 : HumanFund

Personal best performances of the evening
Points : 42 : L. Feaster (ETBU Tigers)
Rebounds : 22 : I. Polichronopoulos (Stark Contrast)
Assists : 8 : W. Posey (10inch Vertical), J. Diaz (Virginia Cavaliers), Y. Yu Fun (Silverbacks), K. Timm (Visionaries)
Steals : 4 : N. Ament (Splash Gang), M. Sosa (HumanFund)
Block Shots : 6 : H. Kangshan (ETBU Tigers)

Top 5 of the evening
Point Guard : L. Feaster (ETBU Tigers) (42 Points, 4 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 0 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 37
Shooting Guard : T. Meade (Visionaries) (24 Points, 3 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 3 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 33
Small Forward : J. Valentin (Stark Contrast) (38 Points, 13 Rebounds, 0 Assists, 0 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 41
Power Forward : W. Saucedo (Virginia Cavaliers) (30 Points, 15 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 0 Steals, 2 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 39
Center : E. Papakonstantinou (10inch Vertical) (22 Points, 21 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 37

MVP of the evening
J. Valentin (Stark Contrast) (38 Points, 13 Rebounds, 0 Assists, 0 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 41

The bad performance of the evening
G. Roby (Resurrected Fury) (5 Points, 5 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : -15

All kinds of statistics
The player who forgot to remove his mittens : H. Slater (TarTeam), R. Villegas (Mos Eisley Imperials) : 5 Turnovers

Player targeted by the referees : N. Ament (Splash Gang), I. Šcesnavicius (Kings Knights), A. Maher (Resurrected Fury), S. Moldovan (Resurrected Fury), L. Varner (ETBU Tigers), J. Andrews (Virginia Cavaliers), P. Connor (Silverbacks), B. Kyle (Silverbacks), I. Fisher (TarTeam), R. Villegas (Mos Eisley Imperials) : 5 Personnal Fouls

The iron-man : R. Pike (Beware of Dogs), P. Biduido (Flashover), R. Villegas (Mos Eisley Imperials), D. Herzog (Mos Eisley Imperials) : 48 Minutes

The shooter : L. Feaster (ETBU Tigers), W. Saucedo (Virginia Cavaliers) : 6 Three points

The best performer : J. Valentin (Stark Contrast) : Rating : 22.0

The worst performer : N. Morris (Resurrected Fury) : Rating : 4.0

NBBA Season 69 – Day 6 Recap (Tuesday, July 29, 2025)
by Buzz Beat Daily

Stark Hits 6–0, Valentin Erupts, Fury Implodes in Record Loss
As Week 3 tipped off, Stark Contrast stayed perfect thanks to another dominant night from J. Valentin, Mill City stumbled at home, and Resurrected Fury suffered one of the worst losses in NBBA history—scoring just 31 points as HumanFund put on a clinic.

Valentin Leads Stark to 6–0 Start
J. Valentin was once again the man of the moment, dropping 38 points and grabbing 13 boards to lead Stark Contrast to an 89–76 win over Splash Gang. Stark’s defense frustrated Splash’s high-powered guards, and Valentin did the rest—keeping his squad unbeaten and firmly atop the standings.

Mill City Stunned at Home by All-American TarTeam
Even with star power and home court, the defending champs couldn’t stop TarTeam’s two-way attack. J. Wheatley and company quieted the Thunder 91–78, dropping Mill City to 3–3. Despite strong stretches from Dogana and Q, the Thunder were outplayed on both ends by the all-American unit that continues to make noise in the Great 8.

HumanFund Embarrasses Fury in Historic Rout
It was carnage in every statistical category. HumanFund dropped 129 points and held Resurrected Fury to just 31—yes, 31—in a blowout that left fans speechless. Fury, still without injured leader Neil Kimball, opted to rest several key players in preparation for a looming Cup clash with the LA Lions. Even so, the 98-point loss was jarring. M. Sosa led the charge for HumanFund, and G. Roby’s -15 efficiency was the lowest of the season so far.

Cavaliers Blow Past Dogs Behind Saucedo’s Big Night
Virginia’s W. Saucedo posted a dominant 30-point, 15-rebound double-double as the Cavaliers rolled 124–67 over Beware of Dogs. The win bumps them to 3–3 and may mark the start of a midseason surge.

Vertical Outlasts Feaster’s 42, Hands ETBU Fourth Loss
L. Feaster caught fire for ETBU, torching the nets for 42 points—including six from deep—but 10inch Vertical had the muscle to answer. E. Papakonstantinou posted a monster 22-point, 21-rebound double-double as Vertical held on for the 106–92 win. The Tigers fall to 2–4, despite Feaster continuing to put up superstar numbers.

Lions Roar Back, Beat Down Fatigued Knights
The LA Lions bounced back in a big way with a 93–72 win over Kings Knights. Guard-turned-center G. Short ran into early foul trouble, and the Knights—still feeling the effects of their double-overtime war against Fury—looked a step slow all night. The Lions improve to 3–3, and showed off a more disciplined, defensive identity.

Flashover Holds Off Silverbacks Late
It wasn’t as pretty as Day 5, but Flashover got the job done 99–90 over the Silverbacks. Figueres and Masters continue to adjust for the ‘Backs, but Flashover’s late-game execution kept them in the win column. They’re officially heating up.

Visionaries Sink Mos Eisley Imperials
T. Meade scored 24 with six assists to guide the Visionaries to a smooth 95–73 win over the struggling Mos Eisley Imperials. The D1 newcomers drop to 2–4 as Visionaries continue to quietly climb.

Key Takeaways:
• Stark Contrast: Still perfect, still elite.
• Fury: A 98-point loss—but they’ve got their eyes on the Cup.
• Mill City: Champions look mortal at 3–3.
• TarTeam, Cavaliers, Lions: All trending upward at 3–3.
• ETBU, Kings Knights: Both reeling after exhausting battles.
• Feaster & Valentin: Putting on scoring clinics nightly.

Final Word:
From Valentin’s stardom to the Fury’s calculated sacrifice, Day 6 was a snapshot of a league in flux. With contenders rising, stars exploding, and favorites stumbling—NBBA Season 69 drama is just getting started.

Out of curiosity (and because eventually I'm going to get condemned to using a LLM at work), how much of the repetative-ish pattern of the Final Word is your system prompt and how much is it just the LLM falling into a rut?

Power Rankings after 6 games

General notes about the power rankings:
- I rank teams 1 to 16 but also slot them into tiers. The tier is a more accurate representation of how I view team quality than the direct ranking. As an example, I believe the gap between 1 and 4 is much smaller than the gap between 4 and 5 in this edition.
- I use game results, team salary, player skills, enthusiasm management and more to determine the rankings. They are inherently objective. I anticipate some will be unhappy with where their team ranked, do not refrain from responding and telling me how stupid I am. I welcome your criticism, I thrive on it
- Given the importance of home court, I include home losses and away wins with the team scores. However, away wins against a tanking team are not included as these are not impressive

Tier 1: Contenders
#1 Stark Contrast
6-0 record | 0 home losses | 2 away wins (10inch, Kings)
#2 Visionaries
5-1 record | 0 home losses | 1 away win (Cavaliers)
#3 Mill City
3-3 record | 0 home losses | 0 away wins
#4 Splash Gang
4-2 record | 0 home losses | 1 away win (Human Fund)

Stark has to get the top spot with an undefeated record and 2 away wins against .500 teams. Also beat Splash Gang with a starter injured, albeit at home. They have two older starters, so will have to see if they make any upgrades but they are threatening. Visionaries is showing that a top heavy roster with 0 bench pieces can succeed well enough. I am obviously biased, but Mill City going 3-3 while having their top 2 salary players injured for the first 4-5 games was impressive and keeps them afloat in the title race. Splash Gang swapped out their Italian SF for a US version and will always be a threat with their elite scoring guards backed up by multiple SBers

Tier 2: Playoff Teams
#5 Tar Team
5-1 record | 0 home losses | 0 away wins
#6 Flashover
4-2 record | 0 home losses | 1 away win (Silverbacks)
#7 Human Fund
3-3 record | 1 home loss (Splash) | 1 away win (ETBU)

Tar Team may take offense given their 5-1 record but their 2 actual away wins are against Beware and Mos Eisley, so not super impressive. I chalk 5-1 up more to their schedule so far, but they'll have plenty of chances to prove me wrong and show they can take down the top dogs. Flashover has an opposite schedule, where 2 of their home games are against tanking teams yet they still got an away win and manage to be 4-2. They've made a bunch of moves during the early season tho, so need to see where their roster shakes out

Tier 3: Relegation Battle
#8 Silverbacks
2-4 record | 2 home losses (Visionaries, Flashover) | 0 away wins
#9 Virginia Cavaliers
3-3 record | 1 home loss (Visionaries) | 0 away wins
#10 10 Inch Vertical
3-3 record | 1 home loss (Stark) | 0 away wins
#11 Kings Knights
3-3 record | 1 home loss (Stark) | 0 away wins
#12 LA Lions
3-3 record | 0 home losses | 0 away wins
#13 ETBU
2-4 record | 1 home loss (Human Fund) | 0 away wins

I almost put Silverbacks in the playoff tier given their roster and US NT prospect guards. But losing 2 home games this early in the season is not a good sign, and is making me rethink their ability. Cavaliers results to date aren't impressive but they've added a few big pieces and could jump to the next tier. I did not intentionally put 10 inch vertical at #10 but it feels fitting. Slots #10 to #14 feel super interchangeable to me. Maybe it's because they are the other conference and I haven't scouted them as thoroughly, or maybe the Big 8 is in for a parity filled season

Tier 4: Tankers
#14 Mos Eisley Imperials
#15 Beware of Dogs
#16 Resurrected Fury

You could maybe convince me to move Mos Eisley up to the next tier but they are at the salary floor and in the discord have mostly admitted to this being a tanking season to make money. So they go here with

I've debated a bit about trying to push for 6th and a strong chance at a home relegation series (given the salary disparity between the conferences I'm expecting my conference to win IC play by a lot). But my IC schedule draw is not really favorable in H/A split and my core roster timeline is much longer than just a couple seasons so I'm reluctant to chew up a bunch of current or future capital just to pull together treading water.