Last night was the finals for the IBM Basketball League. We had not lost in the double elimination tournment and the team we were playing we had beaten already. If we won the first game it was all over, but if we lost, we would play a second game to determine the champions.
The first game was really close in the first half at 23 a piece, but they played a better second half than us and we could not come back from a 10-point deficit. I didn't do a good job on their best player, Jay, and he burned us for 22 points in the game. With about 2 minutes left in the 1st game, our captain Jose wanted to stay in the game and keep fighting. I evaluated the situation, thinking that it was more important for him to get rest now since we'd really need him for the second game.
In the second game, we ran out of the gates fast, changing our game plan to attacking the rim and getting inside. In the first game, we were a jump-shooting team, which led to them not having to really move around on defense and it didn't help that our treys weren't falling. So the next game we really attacked the basket with guard penetration and it led to several easy opportunites. It also might have helped that the other team was starting to get tired as well.
We led the entire second game, but towards the final 4 minutes, things started to get ugly. It was really getting physical and fouls on our team were being called left and right. It got to the point where 3 of our 7 guys fouled out of the game, forcing us to play with 4 for the remaining couple of minutes. Fortunately for us at that point, we still had the lead and it was basically a free-throw shooting contest. On the other hand, we weren't knocking down these pressure free throws...missing about 7 of our 10 last free throw attempts, which really gave the other team a chance to steal this one from us. But we continued to play hard with what he had left out there and secure the championship! Jose played a great game pouring in 25 points...maybe the rest he got at the end of the 1st game helped prepare him for the 2nd game.
By the end of the second game, we were all dead-tired. My legs were completely dead, my body was hurting, and I actually started getting muscle cramps from being out there defending such a tough player all night long. When the game ended, I was more just relieved from the game finally being over rather than jumping around and celebrating. Today it has started to sink in that I have finally gotten that trophy in this league! It was a great a season, but I'm really looking forward to the rest and relaxation before next time!
From left to right: Andy, Richard, Jose, Tony, Dan, Darren, Tommy.
In the second game, we ran out of the gates fast, changing our game plan to attacking the rim and getting inside. In the first game, we were a jump-shooting team, which led to them not having to really move around on defense and it didn't help that our treys weren't falling. So the next game we really attacked the basket with guard penetration and it led to several easy opportunites. It also might have helped that the other team was starting to get tired as well.