The road to the finals is never easy. This year I was back on a team that I had played with before where the captain (Adam) is arguably the best player in our league. Size is not a problem on this team, but we really only have two capable guards while I'm the only true point guard. My job is to get and keep everyone involved on offense while still finding my own shots. My role is pretty important to the success of this team and it seemed like the games where I didn't have a good game, we ended up losing. Our season record finished at 4-3.
Our first game in the double-elimination tournament was already a challenge. We were missing Adam and thus everyone else had to step up. We ended up squeeking by the first round in a close 43-42 victory where I led our team with a robust 17 points. We were somewhat fortunate that the other team didn't have their big guy either and so with no one in the middle to contest the lane, I drove to the hoop for several layups and got to the line quite a bit. Winning this one without Adam was huge.
The second game was a tough one. We played arguably the best team in the league and one that had been undefeated up to this point. Adam was back for this game, but the opponent had an interesting yet effective strategy: box-zone +1. It's basically a 2-2 zone with their best defender on Adam at all times, basically forcing the rest of the team to step up since he was almost always double-teamed. Fortunately, our teammates stepped up to the occasion and we were able to hold them off in a 50-47 victory. Yours truly chipped in 14 points. It was key to win the first two games (especially for me) since a loss would've sent us to the loser's bracket. In that case, we would've had to win two games back-to-back the next week, a week I would be missing due to an earlier planned trip to Washington D.C.
The third game was one the one that I ended up missing and with no losses so far, I felt comfortable knowing that even if we lost, I'd still have games to look forward to when I got back. Fortunately, the opponent also had a key guy missing, so with my DNP it was almost like a wash. Our team took care of business and actually had a great game, coming away with a 65-48 victory. Our role players are hitting their peak at the right time!
So now it's on to the Finals match. This will be my 5th appearance in 7 years, and my chance at a repeat championship. Ironically, I'll be facing the team I was on last year, so one of us is going to be denied a repeat. Fortunately, we'll have two chances to put them away since we haven't lost a game in the tourney yet but hopefully we won't need to play that second game. The key to the game will be using our size advantage, keeping up with their guards who can shoot and score from anywhere, and denying the fast-break opportunities. They are a quick team and will be tough to keep up with, but if we play our game and stay in control, I think we'll have a good chance. Wish me luck! I'll try and provide more pictures and hopefully I'll be bringing home another trophy! :)
