2002-2003 SOMIBA PLAYOFF GAME RECAPS
FINALS -- 7 GAMES
MIL at DAV
Game 1
Milwaukee 120
Davis 106
Things didn't start out looking so good for Milwaukee
as McGrady picked up his 2nd fouls 2 mintutes into the
game and sat out the rest of the quarter. His
teammates picked up the slack, though, shooting 61%
for the quarter and leading 32-27 at the end of the
first. Crawford had 11 points in the first 5 minutes
of the game, and those 11 led all scorers through the
first quarter.
In the 2nd quarter, Shareef Abdur-Rahim caught fire,
scoring 16 points to finish with 23 for the half.
However, Milwaukee's offense stayed hot and they led
throughout the quarter. The score at halftime was
62-57 Milwaukee. Milwaukee shot 62% for the half
compared to 41% for Davis. Davis made up for this by
making 22 free throws compared to only 6 for
Milwaukee.
In the 3rd quarter Milwaukee stayed hot while Davis
had a couple of cold stretches to fall behind. An
early 6-0 Milwaukee run gave you a 9-pt lead, and then
an 8-0 run midway through the quarter gave you a 16
point lead. From this point forward, the lead was
never less than 8 as Milwaukee coasted to a game 1
victory.
Abdur-Rahim led all scorers with 39 points, but Davis
shot only 44% from the field and made only 2/9 on
threes. Milwaukee shot 61% as it seemed that everyone
on the team had a good shooting game. Led by
McGrady's 21 pts, 7 players finished in double
figures, including Crawford with 18 points and Ward
with 17. Milwaukee also made 9/15 on threes. This
balance was achieved in spite of the fact that I never
double-teamed either McGrady or Gasol the entire game.
Game 2
Davis 105
Milwaukee 90
One minute into the game, McGrady picked up his 2nd
foul and went to the bench. However, one minute
later, Padgett picked up his 2nd foul and he went to
the bench and McGrady came back in. In spite of this,
Davis jumped out to a 9-1 lead, but Milwaukee fought
back with hot shooting and led 30-25 at the end of the
first quarter. Milwaukee shot 72% for the quarter,
compared to only 50% for Davis, but Davis stayed in
the game by grabbing 5 offensive rebounds.
Milwaukee's was not able to shoot so well the rest of
the game, however. 12 seconds into the 2nd quarter,
McGrady picked up his 3rd foul and left the game
again. Once again, however, he soon came back when
Gasol went to the bench with his 2nd foul with 8
minutes left. Those were the last minutes McGrady sat
due to fouls. Gasol came back when Padgett picked up
foul #3 1 minute later. In the 2nd quarter, Davis
shot very well and Milwaukee was cold, and Davis was
able to build a 7-pt halftime lead. Davis ended up
shooting 64% for the 1st half compared to 51% for
Milwaukee.
In the 2nd half, both teams played better defense than
in the first half, but Davis was able to steadily
build its lead by shooting just a little bit better
from the field and also was dominating the boards.
Davis shot 54% for the game compared to 47% for
Milwaukee. Neither team shot threes well - MIL was
1/10 and DAV was 0/4. Davis also outrebounded
Milwaukee 47-29. Abdur-Rahim led all scorers with 38
pts and Wallace had 19 rebounds for Davis. Gasol led
Milwaukee with 20 points.
Davis has evened up the series with this win but we
opened up the door with that loss in game one. Now
we'll see if Milwaukee can win 3 straight at home.
Game 3
Game 3 results...
McGrady in foul trouble again... but somehow the rest of the team comes
through.
Game 4
(None)
Game 5
If David Stern was the SOMIBA commish he'd be upset, as this series
certianly wouldn't get the ratings that a WHI-LAK would have. I'm honestly
didn't think my team was playoff worthy... and here they are winning as the
underdog 3 times.
ROUND 2 -- 7 GAMES
MIL at LAK -- won by MIL 4-2
Game 1
One period is in the books (I will send out updates after each period). Milwaukee
won the jump ball and scored right away with Strickland penetrating against SAG. But
Lake K scored the next 6 points. Milwaukee came right back to tie the game at 6-6
after Shaq missed a block rating chance. Gasol got fouled and missed both FT's, but
Padget got the rebound and got fouled. But he only made 1 of 2 FT's to make it 8-7
Lake K. Milwaukee got four more points in a row for an 11-8 lead. Payton then got
the only dazzler of the quarter for either team. The game was tied at 11-11 and 13-13.
Vaughn drained a three, but McGrady got a hoop and some harm to tie the game at 16-16
and give Payton his second foul with 4:01 left in the period. Lake K got called for a
technical (which was realistic for once) to make it 17-16 MIL. Vaughn knocked down
another three but Milwaukee tied the game again at 19-19. A loose ball foul by Lake K
put MIL on the line, but again Padget made only 1 of 2 for a 20-19 lead. Lake K then
tightened up the defense which led to a 13-0 run. This run ended with three straight
possessions where MIL missed and Lake K went the other way on the break. First McGrady
got blocked by Ostertag and Augmon scored on FB. The next two MIL misses led to Lake K
FB shots that they missed too, but both times Lake K got the offensive rebound and got
two points off it. Finally the run ended with a MIL technical foul (again realistic)
to make it 32-20. Milwaukee scored the final hoop of the quarter, and Augmon missed a
steal shot with two seconds left, got his own rebound, but could not get the shot off.
The score after one period 32-22 Lake K. McGrady led everyone with 11 points.
Strickland, Shaq, and Vaughn each had 7 points. Lake K out shot MIL 50% to 40%. MIL
was 0 for 3 from downtown while Lake K was 3 for 4. Lake K had the edge in rebounds 15
to 9. Both teams only had 3 assists. Both teams also had 3 steals and 2 blocks. MIL
committed one more turnover than Lake K 7 to 6. Quarter two is now set to begin...
Lake K scores first in the 2nd on a FB hoop by Payton. But McGrady triggers a 7-0 run
by hitting Milwaukee's only three point attempt of the period. The run ends after a
Ward FB hoop made it 34-29. Lake K scored the next four points, but Tinsley got a
dazzler to make it 38-31. The Davis scored on the FB to make it 38-33. Lake K was
up 42-35 when MIL missed and Lake K was starting a FB when a technical was called on
them. This prevented Lake K's fast break and gave MIL a point (unrealistic time for
that). With Lake K up 44-36, McGrady missed 2 FT's. On the next possession for MIL,
McGrady missed a shot, missed his own rebound attempt, Davis missed a rebound shot,
and then Ward finalyy scored on the offensive rebound. MIL cut it to 44-38 with those
4 chances in one possession. But Shaq made a big momentum play by making the first
free throw, missing the second, got his own rebound and scored a basket and a foul
(making the FT) for a four point play all by himself and a 48-38 Lake K lead. Vaughn
later drained his third three pointer of the half to make it 53-42. Two more made
FT's by Shaq gave Lake K their biggest lead of 13 points at 57-44. MIL cut it to
59-50, but then Ekezie scored on a rebound when Padget backed away while playing safe
with two fouls (as if getting his third foul at this point would be costly). McGrady
continued to struggle by missing two more FT's and missing the rebound shot off the
second miss. The halftime score is 61-50 Lake K as they out score MIL by one point in
the second quarter. McGrady was still the leading scorer with 20 points, but he took
21 FG's and missed 4 FT's to get it. Two others had 7 points for MIL. Shaq had 15
points and 11 rebounds in the half. Payton and Vaughn each had 12 points. Lake K was
still shooting 50% while MIL is up slightly to 43%. MIl made two more FT's than Lake
K while Lake K had one more rebound than MIL. Both teams had 9 assists (and only one
dazzler each!!!) and both had 3 blocks. Milwaukee had 4 steals and 11 turnovers to
Lake K's 7 steals and 9 turnovers. Third quarter is about to begin.
MIL started the second half with McGrady on the bench and they were lost without him.
Lake K outscored MIL 8-2 over the first six minutes of the quarter without McGrady
around. MIL only points in those six minutes were from a FB dazzler by Strickland.
But Payton answered with a dazzler of his own for a 69-52 lead with McGrady returning.
Padgett knocked down a three and MIL got another basket to make it 69-57. After J.
Williams got his 5th foul, it turned out to be a blessing for Lake K as Ostertag came
in and started blocking every shot. He had four blocks in the quarter triggering a
6-0 run for Lake K and a 75-57 lead. Vaughn got back to back regular dazzlers (when
he only needs 1-3 on normal) to make it 83-65 late in the quarter. Strickland made
1 of 2 FT;s and Lake K held for last shot. With 0:01 left, Vaughn had an outside shot
only and got fouled. He made both FT's to give Lake K their biggest lead of the game
87-68 heading to the 4th. Lake K's FG edge is now 51% to 40%. Lake K has made two
more three pointers and 5 more FT;s (as MIL was just 3 for 4 FT's in the quarter to
Lake K's 10 for 13). MIL now leads by one rebound but has two less assists, two less
steals, two more turnovers and four less blocks. McGrady only scored 2 points in the
quarter to still lead everyone with 22 points (and 5 rebounds and 5 assists). Gasol
has 12 and Strickland 10. Shaq had only four points and no rebounds in the third to
now have 19 and 11. Vaughn is up to 17 points and Payton has 14. One quarter left
in Game 1.
Lake K 118 Milwaukee 92
Lake K had their way in the 4th quarter with the leading reaching 30 at one point.
For the game Lake K shot 51% to MIL's 45%. Lake K had a big edge from three point
land with 7 for 9 on 3's to 2 for 12 for MIL. MIL was only 0 for 2 from the line in
the 4th, so Lake K made 9 more FT's total in the game. MIL had a slight edge in
rebounds 47 to 43 with Davis getting 15 rebounds. Both teams had 21 assists for the
game but Lake K had a few more dazzlers (though both teams were low on dazzlers).
Lake K ended up with big advantages in turnovers and blocks. Shaq ended up the
leading scorer with 30 points and added 14 rebounds (though only 3 in the second
half). McGrady had 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. Gasol had 18 points and
10 rebounds. Carter added 22 points for Lake K and Vaughn had 19. Payton had a
quiet 14 points and 10 assists. J. Williams played the entire 4th quarter with 5
fouls (and was really the only player in foul trouble for either team).
Game 2
Lake K won the jump ball and got a dazzler by Payton to start the game. With a 4-3
lead, Q. Richardson knocked down a three pointer for a 7-3 Lake K lead. Carter later
made a three of his own for a 14-7 lead which was Lake K's biggest of the quarter.
But McGrady answered right back with three pointer himself on the next possession to
make it 14-10. Strickland got a dazzler to make it 18-16 Lake K. Vaughn and
Strickland traded dazzlers to make it 24-22 Lake K. Milwaukee tied the game
eventually at 26-26. And they took their only lead of the quarter at 28-26. But Lake
K got the next five points for a 31-28 lead. Lake K was up 31-30 when Milwaukee got
called for a loose ball foul with 32 seconds left. Carter made both free throws to
make it 33-30. Then J. Williams got a steal with 11 seconds left. I debated whether
to shoot or hold for last shot. Williams has a very good fast break column so I took
the shot, but he missed (his second miss on FB of the game already), and instead
Milwaukee got a fast break the other way and Gasol made his fast break shot despite
his bad shooting on that column at the buzzer to make it 33-32 after one period.
Milwaukee outshot Lake K 55% to 50% in the quarter. Lake K had slight edges in three
pointers (2 for 4 vs. 1 for 3) and FT's (9 for 12 vs. 7 for 8). Lake K also had two
more rebounds 10 to 8. Despite one less dazzler than Lake K, Milwaukee led 8 to 5 in
assists. Williams' steal near the end was the only steal of the game so far. Neither
team had a block yet, and Milwaukee had 3 turnovers to Lake K's 2. McGrady and Q.
Richardson each had 13 points. Gasol had 9 and Carter 7. Shaq was 0 for 2 FG's and
4 for 6 FT's with 2 fouls (one offensive).
The game is staying tight and exciting. Tinsley starts the quarter with a dazzler for
the first of seven lead changes in the quarter. A McGrady hoop and some harm puts MIL
up 37-35. The game was tied at 37-37 and 39-39, two of six ties in the quarter. With
9:10 to go in the half McGrady tied the game at 41-41 giving him 19 points now.
Another Tinsley dazzler made it 43-41, but Lake K tied it at 43-43. Tinsley's third
dazzler of the quarter was followed by a Payton dazzler and a Ward dazzler that made
it 49-45 MIL. J. Williams then hit a three pointer and a Payton FB dazzler put lake
K back on top 50-49. But MIL scored the next six points including consecutive
penetration baskets by McGrady while double teamed (I only doubled him for a few
minutes here late in the second but it had no effect). MIL matched their biggest lead
of the half at 57-52. But a Payton dazzler was followed quickly by a Vaughn FB
dazzler that made it 57-56. Then McGrady got another basket and a foul, but missed
the FT. So Augmon stepped up and tied the game from way downtown at 59-59. With the
game tied 61-61, Ekezie got a steal with 7 seconds left, and this time I held for last
shot, but it went to Ostertag who took a replay rather than shooting at the buzzer.
So the game is tied 61-61 at the half. Two wasted chances for Lake K at end of
periods. MIL is still hot from the field shooting 56% to Lake K's 53%. Lake K made
three more three pointers, but MIL has made one more FT as Lake K was only 2 for 2
from the line in the quarter. Lake K has two more rebounds, but MIL has two more
assists. Both teams have only 6 turnovers and just 1 block each. MIL leads in steals
three to two. McGrady already has 27 points while the next highest is Gasol's 11 for
them. Lake K is getting balanced scoring from the whole team with Q. Richardson still
leading the team with 13 points, all in the first quarter. Carter has 11 and Payton
10. Third quarter is set to begin.
This time MIL was not lost with McGrady riding the bench the first six minutes of the
third quarter. Gasol started the quarter by drawing a foul on Shaq (his 3rd). But
Lake K tied the game at 63-63. Then MIL missed, and got three consecutive offensive
rebounds, but missed all of them, and Payton got a FB dazzler. MIL tied it at 65-65,
and a Strickland dazzler tied it at 67-67. Shaq was 1 for 6 from the field when he
scored to put Lake K up 69-67 (a lead they would maintain the rest of the qaurter).
Another Strickland dazzler made it 71-69 Lake K. But Lake K scored the next five
points including Shaq's first basket and a foul of the game making it 76-71 (he's
been making his FT's very well so far in the series). With 6:21 left Lake K was up
78-73, outscoring MIL 17-12 with McGrady resting (in Game 1 it was 8-2 without McGrady
at this point). Lake K tied the biggest lead of the game to this point twice at 80-73
and 82-75. Payton had a chance to make it a 9 point lead but was called for a charge
on a FB shot with 4:20 left. Over the next two minutes, MIL out scored Lake K 9-3 to
cut the lead to one (Gasol missed the second of two FT's on Shaq's 4th foul that could
have tied the game). Lake K responded to this by scoring the final seven points of
the quarter. Twice Carter got a steal in the final two minutes and he passed on the
shot both times leading to other buckets, and Vaughn drained a three to make it 92-84.
MIL missed in the closing seconds and Lake K got the rebound, but ran out of time to
run the break. Lake K leads by 8 (their biggest lead of the game) heading to the 4th.
McGrady only scored two points (with no doubling) in the third quarter to lead
everyone with 29 points. Gasol now had 20 and Padgett 10. For Lake K, Richardson now
has 19 and Payton is up to 18. Those two are a combined 17 for 25 FG's! Payton also
has 8 assists. Shaq and Carter each have 13 points. Can Lake K hold on and take a
2-0 lead in the series (something they have been unable to do in the last six playoff
series they have played in, splitting the first two games in all six of those series)?
Tinsley's 4th dazzler fo the game made it 94-88 early in the 4th. Shaq then got his
5th foul on another offensive rebound with 10:42 to go. He would ride the bench until
the 6 minute mark. Without Shaq, Milwaukee was able to creep closer. McGrady hit
from downtown to make it 96-93. With Lake K up 99-95, MIL missed a shot and missed on
two offensive rebound chances before a loose ball foul was called on them, their 4th
team foul already with 8:45 to go. But Augmon was called for an offensive foul on an
offensive rebound, and Gasol scored to make it 99-97 with 8:00 left. Paytom hit from
the outside and the only technical foul of the game was called on MIL to make it
102-97. But Tinsley hit a big three to make it 102-100. Lake K responded with five
straight points to take a 107-100 lead thanks to Augmon's 3 ball in the corner pocket.
After another Tinsley dazzler, Augmon missed a three, got his own rebound and missed
again, got his own rebound again and took a replay with 5:51 to go. That was big as
Lake K called timeout and brought Shaq back. He got fouled right away and promptly
missed two FT's after my praise for his foul shooting to this point, but Thomas was
there for a big rebound and put back making it 109-102. Padgett then missed a three
and Vaughn got a FB dazzler to give Lake K their biggest lead to this point of 9
points 111-102. But MIL showed no quit inthem. Tinsley got another dazzler, and Shaq
got called for another offensive foul on a offensive rebound with 4:38 fouling him out
of the game. Gasol quickly scored on the other end, and Thomas got called for an
offensive foul (Lake K had 6 of them in the game while MIL only one) with the score
111-106 and 3:55 to go. Lake K got a stop and basket but Gasol scored on an offensive
rebound to make it 113-108. A Payton dazzler gave us some breathing room and then
Vaughn drained a three for a 118-110 lead. But McGrady came right back with another
hoop and some harm making it 118-113 with 2:08 left. Ekezie then made a big basket
when I almost called timeout with 1:59 left, and Vaughn made a back breaking FB
dazzler when I almost took the FB off in fear of turnovers. This put Lake K up
122-113 with 1:21 left, and MIL had to foul the rest of the way and could only score
two more points themselves. Final score Lake K 127 Milwaukee 115. Lake K finally
breaks their streak of splitting the first two home games of a playoff series, taking
a 2-0 lead for the first time in any series in the last three seasons when we were
the number 1 seed.
Both teams shot over 50% from the field with Lake K slightly better 57% to 53%.
Lake K made 4 more three pointers and 8 more FT;s in the end. Lake K also grabbed 7
more rebounds. MIL had the edge in assists 36 to 32 (both teams had 10 dazzlers).
Lake K also won the battle in steals, turnovers, and blocks. McGrady was as good as
usual with 39 points. Gasol stepped up big time with 30 points and a game high 9
rebounds. But Padgett was next highest with 10 points as MIL was only a two man team
in this game. Payton scored 12 of his team high 30 points in the 4th quarter when
Shaq was useless, and he had a game high 9 assists. Richardson led six other Lake K
players in double figures with 19.
Game 3
Playing at home is WAY easier... the computer doesn't feed Shaq as much any human
coach would. I even got away with guarding him with Illgaukaus for a while.
Game 4
One point win in the 4th Quarter. Jamal Crawford (his last game) and TMac come up big.
Game 5
Milwaukee is putting on a clinic in the first quarter as Lake K is carrying over their
Game 4 late collapse to this horrendous start, playing maybe their worst first quarter
of the season. MIL streaked out to a 6-0 lead to start the game as Shaq missed 3 FG's
and 2 FT's in the opening minute and a half of the game (he only missed 2 FG's in Game
4). McGrady drained a three (his only points of the quarter) to make it 11-4. Back to
back Payton FB dazzlers made it 11-8, and lake K missed a FB shot that could have made
it a one point game. MIL responded by scoring the next 7 points for an 18-8 lead.
Payton's third dazzler of the quarter made it 18-10 and a Vaughn three pointer made
it 21-13. But with just under a minute left MIL was up 30-15. Ward nailed two three
pointers in the final minute to give MIL a 36-18 lead, doubling Lake K's score. MIL
shot 70% in the quarter to Lake K's 38%. MIL made 3 of 4 three pointers and 5 of 8
FT's while Lake K was 1 for 5 and 1 for 6 in those two categories. Milwaukee had 2
more rebounds and doubled up Lake K in assists 10 to 5. McGrady played all 12 minutes
with no double teams and still only scored 3 points. But five other players for MIL
scored between 4 and 8 points. Lake K was led by Carter's 5 points as Shaq was held
scoreless. Quarter two cannot hardly get any worse for Lake K....
Lake K is trying to chip away despite still horrible shooting from all angles and some
other bad play. Two more dazzlers by Payton cut the lead to 38-26 early in the second.
Payton now had five dazzlers, but at the half those were his only contributions
offensively. He had no points and five assists in the half. Lake K tried the press
to start the quarter but Tinsley made them pay with two dazzlers off the press. A
Shaq basket and a foul cut the lead to 11 at 40-29, but Ward hit yet another three.
Then Payton missed two straight FB shots which led to Ward and Bradley each scoring
on the FB regaining Milwaukee's 18 point lead at 49-31. Lake K got the lead back
down to 13 at 51-38, but then Lake K committed back to back turnovers on the break.
Augmon knocked down a three to cut the lead to ten at 53-43, but a reach in foul put
the automatic Bradley at the line to make the halftime score 55-43. Milwaukee's edge
from the field narrowed to 51%-43%. But they made two more from downtown than Lake K
and were doing damage from the line with 11 of 14 FT's while Lake K was laying bricks
from the line 3 for 10. Lake K was now up by 4 in rebounds. Ward was the leading
scorer of the half with 13 points! Shaq scored all 12 of his points in the second, but
was only 5 for 10 FG's and 2 for 4 FT's in the quarter (to go along with his 0 for 5
and 0 for 2 in the first quarter). McGrady played 22 of 24 minutes (came out two
minutes for fatique) with no double teaming and still only managed 7 points on 2 of
8 FG's. If McGrady was only having an average game this would be a blow out. Now
Lake K must make their run as McGrady sits for the first six minutes of the third
quarter...
Lake K started the third with a basket and a foul by Shaq, but back to back Strickland
dazzlers pushed the lead back to 16, at 61-45 with a 6-0 run. Lake K finished a 10-3
with six straight points thanks to another Payton FB dazzler and a J. Williams steal
to make it 64-55, the first time the lead was under ten since 18-10. With 6:51 to go,
Ward was about to take another three, but the computer called timeout to get Padgett
out of the game due to fatique. Lake K only outscored MIL 12-9 without Mcgrady, and
MIL scored six straight points after he came back in (none by him) to make it 70-55.
But a 9-2 run by Lake K mostly off the FB got the lead down to 8 at 72-64. Then
Padgett hit a three even with no wind left in him, and another Strickland dazzler
made it 77-64. But Vaughn hit a couple from downtown to make it 80-72. Lake K got
as close as 7 at 81-74 with under a minute to go. Then MIL revisited their Game 4
magic by nailing two three's in the final minute of this quarter to push the lead
back to 13 at 87-74, erasing all the work Lake K had done in the first 11 minutes
of the quarter. And McGrady just nailed another three on the first play of the 4th
to make it a 16 point lead, 90-74. MIL now leads in FG shooting 55% to 49%. And
they have made three more from downtown on less attempts. Despite those figures,
it is the FT line that is winning the game for MIL where MIL is 18 for 24 to Lake K
pathetic 3 for 11. Ward leads five MIL players in double figures with 18 points in
only 17 minutes. Shaq is Lake "s only double figure man with 20 points but he is 9
for 20 FG's and 2 for 7 FT's. Lake K has their back against the wall now...
Milwaukee 127 Lake K 103
Lake K suffers one of their worst home losses ever totally out-played by a dominant
Milwaukee squad. Milwaukee scored 40 points in the fourth quarter to get within one
game of the Finals after trailing 2 games to 0. The game was put away with an 11-0
run that spanned the third and fourth quarters that gave MIL a 92-74 lead matching
their biggest lead of the game to that point. Lake K packed it in at the point and
trailed by as much as 26. The lead stayed over 20 for the final seven minutes.
Milwaukee shot 61% while Lake K shot 49%. The road court advantage was working for
MIL with 22 of 28 FT's to Lake K's 8 of 19. McGrady scored more than half of his
game high 27 points in the fiurth quarter. Ward was as unstopable as Shaq usually
is with 24 points. Maybe if I had doubled off Ward he might have missed some shots.
This was the first time I didn't double McGrady for a single second hoping to let
him get his points but stop everyone else. Instead he struggled to his points with
no double team and everyone else went wild without being left open. Back to the
drawing board. Shaq had a quiet 24 points while no other Lake K player scored in
double figures. Lake K picked a bad time to have one of their worst games of the
year.
Game 6
About the only thing that SOMBK doesn't accurately capture is the superstars
preferential treatment down the stretch... Shaq didn't get the calls, Carter was
called for a charge when Lake K had a chance to go up late in the 4th quarter (on
a Offensive Rebound too). Milwaukee made their key FTs (Pau Gasol 12-16)... Lake
K for the most part didn't. Timely turnovers helped Milwaukee's cause too.
I honestly think my team shouldn't have made the playoffs, and now I've knocked off
the top two teams in the league.
I have a feeling this will be the last hurrah for this squad.. as their guard play
will be atrocious next year. (Rod Strickland will be moved up to assistant head
coach/ legal council)
SUN at DAV -- won by DAV 4-2
Game 1
Davis 114
Sunnyvale 106
Davis wins an exciting up and down game. In the first
half, Sunnyvale was hot and really had their fastbreak
going, shooting 58% for the half. Davis kept up in
the 1st quarter but fell off a little in the 2nd and
Sunnyvale led most of the half but never by more than
9 pts.
In the 3rd quarter and half the 4th we traded baskets,
with Sunnyvale's lead fluctating between 1 and 9 pts.
With 5:54 left Marion hit a three to put you up by 4.
For some reason, after that your team couldn't make
hardly any shots and I outscored you 17-5 the rest of
the game.
Both Marion and Abdur-Rahim scored 30 pts, although
Marion needed 33 shots to do it. Sunnyvale had a big
advantage in threes making 9 to Davis' one, but Davis
made up for that by getting to the line 32 times
compared to only 18 for Sunnyvale.
Game 2
Sunnyvale 121
Davis 101
Sunnyvale never trailed as they jumped out to a 7-0
lead to start the game and never looked back. The
lead was 10 at the end of the first qtr and Davis
never got closer than 8 after that. Sunnyvale's
offense was unstoppable. They shot 51% and also got
21 offensive rebounds with only 8 turnovers. Marion
was the star of the game with 40 points and 12
rebounds. Abdur-Rahim also had 40 pts for Davis.
Game 3
The first quarter started off slow, but then Davis went on a 9-0 run lead
to take a 14 point lead. At the quarter it was 33-24 Davis. Sunnyvale
got into some early foul trouble with 9 fouls (3 on Brevin Knight),
leading to a 13-4 FTA edge for Davis. Steve Nash led Davis with 9 (3 for
6 on 3's, the only shots he took), and Brad Miller had 10 to lead
Sunnyvale. With just 0:14 left Shareef Abdur-Rahim fouled Miller, his
2nd, and Jason Caffey got a polite cheer as he took off his warmups to
come in.
But Shareef was back to start the second, and as Sunnyvale saw the game
slipping away, they brought in Rafer Alston to lead 6 minutes of press.
When he came out following a Shawn Marion basket at 6:22, the score was
tied at 39. Davis got a technical at 11:06, but nothing much had
happened. At 10:18 Big Ben Wallace stepped outside the arc and fired
unsuccessfully. The computer will generate automatic 3's for a guy who
shot 3 in nearly 3000 minutes? At 7:46 Shareef charged into Jake
Tsakalidis, and took a seat. After Vitaly Potapenko scored off a dazzler
(6 pts, 2 reb, and an ast in his brief 4 min 2nd quarter stint) at
2:46 Davis called timeout for their subs and put on a press. Shortly
thereafter another technical was called on Davis. Sunnyvale leads 58-47
at the half, having narrowed the free throw gap to 15-10, and taking a
55-41% FG shooting edge.
Cuttino Mobley led Davis at the half with 12. Nash had 11 pts, 4 reb, and
3 ast, while Big Ben had 7 reb. Shareef scored 6 in his 12 min. On the
other side Marion led all scorers with 18, Miller had 15 (and 8 reb), and
Knight had 5 ast.
As the second half began, Sunnyvale continued its momentum and built the
lead a little bigger. Coming off the 2 minute timeout Davis decided to
double the Matrix off Big Jake, who hit 2 straight open jumpers. On a
loose ball foul at 1:44, Shareef sat again, giving Caffey a chance to
play more.
Sunnyvale led 90-70 after 3, having closed the free throw gap even further
to 15-13, and extended the shooting gap to 59-44%. Davis went for the
longball, shooting 21 3's through 3, 10 by Nash, who led Davis with 19
pts, 4 reb, and 6 ast. Mobley had 17, and Shareef had 8 in 19 min. Brent
Barry scored 12 in the quarter to take over game honors with 24, and
Marion had 22.
Davis scored 8 straight points to start the fourth to make it close again.
Big Jake fouled out at 8:08, and Davis used the opportunity to put the
press back on (I guess you can do that on a foul out situation). Soon
they doubled Marion again, this time off Knight, who missed his open
shots. But the closest Davis got was 9 at 1:04, which briefly started the
intentional fouling. Sunnyvale wins 105-92.
Rebounding and ballhandling was pretty equal, but Sunnyvale outshot Davis
54-43%, and Davis only connected on 10 of 30 from downtown, 6 of 13 by
Nash, who led his team with 22 points and 7 assists. The Sunnyvale Big
Two (Barry and Marion) scored 29 and 27.
Game 4
In the first quarter Davis got into a little foul trouble, with both
Ben Wallace (5:13) and Scot Pollard (1:00) picking up their second fouls,
giving Darvin Ham a minute of PT. Sunnyvale leads 24-20 after 1. Davis
stays close hitting 3 of 5 on 3's vs 0 for 3. Davis has a 12-8 rebounding
edge but commits 5 more turnovers and 3 more fouls. Leading scorers are
Cuttino Mobley with 11 and Shawn Marion with 8.
As the second starts Rafer Alston comes in to lead the press, which gets
called off 4 minutes later with a 9 point lead. But Davis fights back
(although Pollard picks up his 3rd at 4:33) to take their first lead of
the game at 46-45 with just under a minute to go. Sunnyvale leads 49-48
at the half. Davis slowed down from long range to 4-11, while Sunnyvale
was a sparkling 0-7. Davis still is +5 in rebounding while the other
stats are similar. Mobley has 19, and Ansu Sesay came through in the run
at the end of the half to hit all 4 of his shots for 8 points. Marion and
Brent Barry share scoring honors with 12 for Sunnyvale.
The third quarter bounces between a tie and a 7 point Sunnyvale lead,
settling at 77-73 Sunnyvale at the quarter. Sunnyvale is now outshooting
Davis 48-42%, but Davis has hit 6 of 19 from long range (Mobley 4 of 7)
while the other guys have missed all 8 of their attempts. Mobley brings
his total to 26, while Shareef Abdur-Rahim has 13 and Sesay 11. Marion
has 19 and 4 steals while Barry has 16. Wallace and Jahidi White each
have 9 rebounds. Steve Nash is starting to go on a dazzlerfest, now with
10 assists.
As the fourth begins Jason Williams is on fire, scoring 11 points in the
first six minute and leading an 11-0 run to give Davis a 5 point lead at
7:14 A few minutes later the lead is 10 thanks to Mobley (9 points in the
quarter). Sunnyvale finally finds the range, hitting 3 straight
longballs, but Steve Nash takes over for Mobley, scoring 5 late points
and dishing a few dazzlers to preserve a 114-106 Davis win. The patented
Davis 4th quarter blitzkrieg strikes again for 41 against the best
defenders Sunnyvale can field.
Cuttino Mobley led 5 Davis players in double figures with 35. Wallace had
12 points and 3 blocks while Nash had 14 assists. Sesay made the most of
his series cameo with 15 points on 7 of 8 shooting. For Sunnyvale Barry
and Marion had 28 and 25 respectively. Brevin Knight had 12 assists, but
continued his shooting woes, making only 2 for 7. Darvin Ham's 3pt
attempt was a halfcourt heave to close the first quarter, so he's not
taking lessons from Big Ben.
Game 5
Davis 103
Sunnyvale 89
Sunnyvale jumped out to an early lead with hot
shooting in the first quarter. SUN shot 60% compared
to 45% for Davis in the first quarter. Davis made up
for this by shooting 9 FT's to Sunnyvale's one but
Sunnyvale led 32-27 at the end of the quarter.
Sunnyvale extended their lead early in the 2nd quarter
and led 49-37 with 5 minutes left. Sunnyvale's shots
went cold at that point though and they did not make a
field goal for the rest of the half. Davis took
advantage to go on a 16-2 run to close the half and
Davis led 53-51 at halftime. The first half stats
were very even. Davis shot 52% and Sunnyvale shot
53%. Davis was 7/11 from the line comapred to 8/9 for
Sunnyvale. The teams were also very close in assists,
turnovers, and rebounds. Abdur-Rahim led all scoreers
with 18 pts on 8/16 shooting. Miller led Sunnyvale
with 13 pts. Marion had 8 pts on only 3/12 shooting
in the first half.
In the 3rd quarter, the teams traded baskets until
Marion went to the bench with his 4th foul with 8:29
left. Davis then went on a 9-0 run to take a 10 point
lead. SUN was able to close this somewhat at the end
of the quarter with Marion on the bench though and the
score was 79-74 at the end of the 3rd.
However, Sunnyvale started the 4th quarter cold
offensively with Marion taking his scheduled rest in
the first 6 minutes. When Marion came back with 6 min
left, Davis led 94-83. Sunnyvale made a mini run
cutting the lead to 7 with 3 min left but then went
cold again and they were unable to score the rest of
the game, which allowed Davis to hold on and win.
Abdur-Rahim was the star of the game with 37 points
and 9 rebounds. Barry had 23 for SUN but Marion did
not have a good game. He played only 30 min due to
foul trouble and was 6/22 from the field when he
played, finishing with 14 points. Davis finished the
game shooting 53% compared to 49% for Sunnyvale, and
Sunnyvale was only 3/18 on threes. Davis also took 31
FT's compared to only 12 for SUN, including a 20-3
advantage in the 2nd half.
Game 6
In the first quarter Davis got into foul trouble, with Shareef Abdur-Rahim
picking up 2 early, to later be joined by Scot Pollard, and also Steve
Nash (to be replaced by George McCloud) as the quarter ended. A 3 by
Jason Williams gave Davis a 31-30 lead. Davis was outshooting Sunnyvale
58-50% and was 3-6 on 3's vs 0-4, but a 10-1 FTA differential (Nash missed
a technical) kept Sunnyvale close. Cuttino Mobley had 9 and Shawn Marion
12.
The next 2 quarters ranged from a 1 point Sunnyvale lead to an 11 point
Davis lead, with Davis taking command early in the second. At the half
Davis was up 68-60, continuing FG% (56-48%) and 3PT (5-9 vs 1-9) shooting
advantages. Abdur-Rahim had 17 at the half and Mobley 16. Marion led all
scorers with 20 while Brent Barry helped with 13. After 3 it was 87-80 as
Nash picked up a late 4th foul. The shooting gap narrowed but Davis
had committed 4 fewer turnovers. Mobley had 23 and Abdur-Rahim 21 with
Marion and Barry both at 20.
In the fourth Brevin Knight led a furious press that cut a 7 point lead to
0 and then a subsequent 8 point lead to a 5 point lead with a 15-2 run.
We pick things up right here as Damon Stoudamire scores on the break to
build the 5 point lead.
SUN-DAV
3:44 107-102 Stoudamire fastbreak shot
Marion steals from Harpring, misses
Defensive rebound
Abdur-Rahim misses inside
3:10 107-104 Wallace offensive rebound, foul White, makes two free throws
White blocked by Wallace
Mobley rebound
2:38 107-106 Mobley fastbreak shot
Marion misses penetration
White offensive rebound
2:08 110-106 Miller scores insides, foul Abdur-Rahim, makes free throw
1:58 110-109 Mobley three-pointer
Abdur-Rahim steals from Miller
Timeout Davis
1:22 110-111 Play for Nash, scores outside shot
Abdur-Rahim steals from Miller
Timeout Davis
0:43 110-114 Play for Nash, scores three-pointer
Timeout Sunnyvale
Play for Barry, Marion misses three-pointer
Mobley rebound
0:22 110-116 Nash fouled by Alston, makes two free throws
Timeout Sunnyvale
Play for Barry, Alston misses three-pointer
Nash rebound
0:00 110-116
Davis wins the game and the series with yet another dominant performance
in the final few minutes. Congratulations Brian, and best of luck in the
next round. I'm still interested in Jason Williams if he's on the market.
My bigs, Marion, and Jefferson are off-limits, but I'll talk about anything
else.
ROUND 1 -- 5 GAMES
WAL at DAV -- won by DAV 3-2
Game 1
Davis 99
Walnut Creek 92
Davis has never won a road game against Walnut Creek
with Webber playing in the 3 years I've been in the
league, so I'm feeling a lot of pressure to win at
home. In this game I jumped out to a big first
quarter lead with hot shooting and with the help of
the press in the last 6 min of the first quarter. I
led by 11 at the end of the quarter.
In the 2nd quarter, I extended my lead to 20 with
continued hot shooting. Davis shot 68% in the first
half, led by Abdur-Rahim who had 22 pts at halftime.
Walnut Creek meanwhile shot only 34% for the half.
For most of the 3rd quarter, we traded baskets and I
still led by 21 with 4 minutes left. At that point,
though, my offense went cold. I scored only 9 points
over the next 12 minutes and with 4 minutes left in
the game you were within 2. We then traded baskets
until 2 min left when I still led by 2. At that point
Nash scored on a penetration shot to give me a 4 pt
lead. Webber then missed on the other end and from
that point the computer was in intentional foul mode
so I was able to hold on to win.
Webber took 40 shots as I chose not to double team
him, but he made only 17 as he was fighting multiple
sags the whole game and Wallace also blocked 5 of his
shots. Webber finished with 40 pts and Ben Wallace
had 11 blocked shots for the game.
Game 2
Davis 107
Walnut Creek 97
Once again, Davis jumps out to a first half lead. We
shot the ball well in the first half once again,
although not quite as well as in game 1, and led by 9
at half time. It would have been 12, except that
Ruben Patterson hit a half-court three to close out
the half.
About midway through the third quarter, you went on a
little run to cut it to one, and then we started
trading little runs - I scored 6 in a row to extend
the lead to 7, you scored 6 straight to bring it back
to 1, I scored 8 straight, and then you scored the
first 6 pts of the 4th quarter to get within 3.
Mobley followed with 2 straight baskets, though, and I
was able to stay safely in front after that.
Webber had another big shooting game, taking 30 shots
for 35 pts. Patterson added 23 for you. My team was
led by Abdur-Rahim with 30 pts. I also got good play
from my point guards as JWill and Nash combined for 34
pts and 15 assists.
Game 3
In this one I seemed to have the upper hand through the first half
but when I would pull ahead by double digits (including a 13-0 run)
you would come back with a brief run and keep it close. I led at
the half 50-45. Webber had 18 points and 3 fouls while Abdur-Rahim
had 10 points but sat the second half of quarter 2 after picking up 2
consecutive offensive fouls.
Late in the third quarter I went on a 15-4 run scoring 9 points during
2 of the 3 second half minutes Webber rested and I kept up the
heat in the first half of the fourth quarter. I ended up winning
WAL 105 DAV 83.
Abdur-Rahim led your team with 22 points on 9-20 shooting. Webber
led all scorers with 37 points on 13-25 shooting while Jeff Foster
added 18 points on 9-14 shooting in 23 minutes. I had a slight 41-38
edge in rebounding but a big edge 20-13 in turnovers as you had a lot
of normal passing turnovers.
Game 4
This was very similar to game 3 except that Webber didn't do much
scoring. I started off the game with a 22-9 run and while you got
to within 7 just before the end of the first half you couldn't get any
closer and I ended up winning WAL 107 DAV 88.
Nash led all scorers with 24 points on 10-21 shooting while Abdur-Rahim
again in foul trouble added 20 points on 7-10 in 30 minutes. Patterson
had 22 points on 10-13 shooting in 24 minutes while Webber added 20
points on 7-20 with only 4 rebounds. You outrebounded me 44-32 even
with my big lineup in the game but you had 22 turnovers to my 11. You
were only 7-29 on 3's (including a desperation 3 at the end of a quarter
and also including JWill 2-9) while I was 5-10.
Game 5
Davis 102
Walnut Creek 89
This game started out ugly. In the first quarter,
Walnut Creek had 10 turnovers and Davis had 7, and as
a result the score was only 18-16 in spite of pretty
good shooting by both teams.
After that, my team did a pretty good job handling the
ball but turnovers continued to be a problem for you.
Walnut Creek finished with 28 turnovers compared to 15
for Davis, the only game in the series where you had
more turnovers than me. I also had 9 more offensive
rebounds, which meant that my team ended up taking 27
more shots than yours did. This discrepancy in
possessions allowed me to build a 20 point lead by the
end of the 3rd quarter in spite of the fact that your
team was shooting more than 60%.
Webber had another big scoring game with 40 pts.
Abdur-Rahim, Nash, and Mobley all had 20+ pts for Davis.
MIL at WHI -- won by MIL 3-0
I (MIL) did what I needed to do by stealing Game 1 (without McGrady or Kobe,
then somehow with only a half of McGrady, I was able to steal game two..
then He (WHI) won game 3 where something like 15 shots seemed to be issed
at the end of the game _99-97)... After not being able to turn the knife
it was never close in game 4, then game 5 he won going away as well...
1 MIL 104-82
2 MIL 106-96
3 MIL 113-110
(The following games were played but did not count, see league news page for details)
3 WHI 99-97
4 WHI 97-77
5 WHI 103-92
(all games played face-to-face)
POR at SUN -- won by SUN 3-0
Game 1
First quarter, close all the way. Brevin Knight hits on the fastbreak to
give Sunnyvale a 29-24 lead. All stats pretty even. Sheed went to the
bench early after he fouled the Matrix at the 7:10 mark. 2 minutes later
I wouldn't shut up, so I got T'd. Leading scorer for Sunnyvale was Brent
Barry with 9, while Zo and Bruce Bowen had 5 each for Portland.
In the second quarter Sunnyvale got an awful lot of offensive rebounds,
and led 52-44. The rebounding edge was now 32-31, but Portland had
committed 5 fewer fouls, and shot 8 more free throws as a result. Barry
was up to 17, while Starbury had 10 points and 6 assists.
We go to the third, and the rebounding just takes over. The Matrix hit
from long range to start a 9-0 run that made the lead 18 at the 5:20 mark.
The lead doesn't shrink below 15 the rest of the way, as Sunnyvale goes
for 62 rebounds, 21 off the offensive glass. That's the difference, as
neither team can shoot straight, Portland 6-26 from behind the arc, and
Sunnyvale 6-21. Sunnyvale wins 102-77.
Starbury led Portland with 19 points and 7 assists, Eddie Jones scored 16,
and Rasheed Wallace hit for 11 and 9 rebounds. Bruce Bowen had 3 steals
and helped hold the Matrix to 11-26 shooting on the way to a game-high 26.
Barry had 25, and Jahidi White led all boardsmen with 12.
Game 2
Sunnyvale concludes the first quarter on top 27-20, with a 13-9
rebounding, 8-3 assist, and 46% to 43% shooting edge. Continuing from the
previous game, neither team is terribly successful from long range, with
Portland hitting 2-9 and Sunnyvale 2-6. Sheed led all scorers with 9 and
had 3 rebounds. Brad Miller scored 8 for Sunnyvale, and Vitaly Potapenko
pulled down 5 rebounds, 3 offensive. Derrick Coleman sat after picking up
a charge at 1:27.
In the second things stayed close, and Portland cut it to 3 at the 2:14,
whereupon they put in Derek Fisher, so I put on the press, and got some
quick results, with 7 straight points in the next minute. At :44 Miller
scored and got fouled to put Sunnyvale up 12. I should have called
timeout here, but I didn't realize it until Jahidi White fouled Zo at
0:31. So I was in violation for 13 seconds. I saved the play-by-play
this time, so we can see two plays were illegally pressed. On the first
it had no effect, and the second had the White foul, where Zo hit 1 of 2
free throws.
Sunnyvale is up 52-41 at the half, but Portland cut the rebounding edge to
23-21, and forced 12 turnovers to 9 of their own. The assist gap remained
at 16-8.
FG 3PT FT
POR 40% 2-7 11-15
SUN 43% 4-12 8-11
Sheed was still game star with 11 points and 6 rebounds, while Miller tied
him with 11, and the Matrix had 10 as well. Eddie Jones and Derrick
Coleman both picked up their 3rd fouls in the last 3 minutes.
The 3rd period opened up with Miller rebounding a missed shot and getting
hacked by Sheed, sending him to the line. I must have thought it was
flagrant, because I was whistled for a T 5 seconds later, calmly sank by
Jones. Sunnyvale started pulling away late in the 3rd like the last
game, but this time there's much more to write. The lead was 82-66,
because Portland went cold from the line, shooting 5-11 in the quarter.
Offenders were Starbury, 1 for 4 and Sheed, who missed his only 2.
Sunnyvale made 4 of 6, but other than woes at the line, shooting picked up
for both teams, leading to 55 total points, outstanding for this series so
far.
FG 3PT FT
POR 43% 4-14 16-26
SUN 48% 6-16 12-17
Zo scored 8 in the quarter to take over game honors with 17, while Sheed
had 15 points, 8 rebounds, and a team-leading 4 assists. For Sunnyvale
Miller had 15 and Marion 14, while the dazzlers were kicking in: 8 assists
for Damon and 7 for Brevin Knight.
The fourth quarter started pretty uneventfully, with the lead growing to
21 at the 7:47. However here Portland put on an amazing press (4
turnovers), leading to 12 straight points over the next 4 minutes, to cut
the lead to 9, only stopped by a steal-and-score by Knight. There were
several chances to make things even more interesting the rest of the way,
but Sheed missed 3 from long range, and Starbury hit 1 of 2. Sunnyvale
hangs on for a 101-89 win, winning the rebounding battle 50-39. Each team
had 5 in double figures, with the Matrix leading all scorers with 20 (on
23 shots though, and no free throws). Is it fair I have to watch Bruce
Bowen guard him in the NBA *and* SOMIBA playoffs? Stoudamire and Knight
each had 9 assists. For Portland, Starbury and Zo each scored 18, and
Sheed 17, to go with 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and a block, but 6
turnovers, and only 1 for 9 from deep.
Game 3
Sunnyvale leads the series 2-0 and Portland gets its chance tonight to seek
some revenge for the previous two losses.
The first quarter is a close contest with both teams exchanging the lead.
Sunnyvale goes on a bit of a run to close out the first with a 26-22 lead.
Portland leaves its starters in the whole quarter and needs to do a shift
change for the second. Sunnyvale is establishing a disturbing trend of out
rebounding Portland and in the first, Sunnyvale holds a 14-7 advantage on
the boards. The Stars are also out on the break tonight with 9 assists,
many dazzlers to Portland's lackluster 2 assists. Doubt begins to creep in
and the Portland coach is T'd up early in the first quarter as well.
The Second quarter sees Sunnyvale ripping off rebounds and fastbreaks like
they were buy one get one free. Sunnyvale rips the Portland reserves and by
the time Marbury, Wallace and Mourning re-enter the game Sunnyvale is
cruising. The halftime score is Sunnyvale 56 Portland 36. Sunnyvale's
rebound advantage stands at 31-16 and the shooting percentages are:
Sunnyvale 46% to Portland's 41%.
The Third quarter starts with a ferocious press by Portland that produces
more turnovers than points. Marbury re-enters the game and goes on fire.
Portland doggedly pursues Sunnyvale and gradually chips away at Sunnyvale's
lead. Marbury is on fire, shredding the Sunnyvale defense, but the "no
name" frontline of Sunnyvale continues to embarrass Mourning, Wallace and
Coleman. The third quarter ends with Portland reducing Sunnyvale's lead to
Sunnyvale 74 Portland 67. Sunnyvale still holds a commanding lead on the
boards at 41 to 23 but the shooting percentages are evening out with
Sunnyvale shooting a consistent 46% and Portland improving to 45%.
The money quarter, or for Portland, the survivor quarter. Portland,
specifically Stephon Marbury, continues to attack the Sunnyvale guards. The
game edges closer until Portland takes the lead at 77-76 (the reversal of
the 76-77 Trailblazer championship year...). Marion answers for Sunnyvale
and the Stars lead 78-77. The game continues to be tight with the
relentless rebounding of Sunnyvale proving the difference. The final score
is Sunnyvale 94 Portland 90. Sunnyvale crushes Portland in rebounding
51-32. Even Damon has 5 rebounds! Sunnyvale gets sweet revenge from last
season, sweeping Portland aside like a warm, flat beer. In addition to
dominating the glass, Sunnyvale had its track shoes on, with many fastbreak
points as part of the Stars 26 assists.
Good game. This Portland team has gone as far as it can go and needs to be
dismantled. Sunnyvale gets to move on and by the looks of this series, they
can do some damage in the SOMIBA playoffs.