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The SABL BS

Issue 85 December 2001

FROM COMMISSIONER SCOTT ELLIS, 2^ND AMER. BASKETBALL LEAGUE

McLean took a close game into the fourth quarter and made it a runaway by outscoring Akron 29-10 in the final period for a 123-95 win.  Kevin Garnett scored 24 in the first half, but picked up enough fouls to limit his playing time and finished with only 28.  In the meantime, Jerry Stackhouse was 13 for 19 from the field, 4 for 6 on threes, and nine for 10 on free throws as he hit for 39.  The Nats had four other double figure scorers and hit 38 of 51 free throws (the Blimps committed 36 fouls).

Wow.  Overwhelmed took on a new meaning, and the Nats simply crushed the Tigers 140-77.  "We weren't trying to run it up," said coach Bob Storey.  "It was just that all the shots that rimmed out against St. Lucie and East Asia went in.  By any measure it was a spanking.  All twelve Nats scored, led by Stackhouse's 38 points on only 17 field goal attempts.  Three Nats front court players - Divac, Brad Miller, and White - had double doubles, while Andre Miller just missed a triple double with 18 points, 9 rebound and 9 assists.  The Nats also controlled the boards by a 62-24 margin.  Mobley was to sole bright spot for the Tigers with 21.

Apparently, the McLean players were drained and discouraged after their tough series with St. Lucie, because they played lethargically, hitting only 40 percent from the floor as the Dragons broke open a close game in the fourth quarter to win 108-88.  Eddie Jones 11 for 16 from the floor, with 6 for 8 on threes. made him game high with 31.   Overall East Asis hit 12 for 22 from long range while the Nats were 9 for 24, including 6 for 20 by Stackhouse.

Bakersfield Blades Coach David Squires' computer is on the fritz and he will be unable to do email or play games for a while. Please autoplay his team for all December and January games, both home and away, in your series, and email me the results.

Autoplay Good News Roosters till further notice

Coach Chris Gertridge is without a computer for a few weeks, so please autoplay his team and play both the home and away games in your December and January series' with him and send the results to me.

Stats, standings, etc., coming in January

As usual, once we get enough stats in to be meaningful, I will be posting them with regularity beginning in January. I also haven't forgotten about about my post-draft analysis, although it's gonna be real late this year due to job and family duties that have cropped up for me recently. What I intend to do is not even look at the stats or standings until I do my post-draft review, then post the stats/standings.

This is the only way to ensure that I make the same screwball predictions that I did last year, without reality clouding my judgment.

Nats take 1 of 4 from Aces at McLean, fans ecstatic

Stackhouse was the leading scorer in all four games (averaging 30 per game), but it took defense and foul trouble for the Nats to pull out one at home.  Kobe Bryant fouled out, and O'Neal, Payton, and McDyess all had five as the Nats 35 for 42 from the line enabled a 103-97 victory in game 3.  The gave it a valiant try again the next night, taking a 91-86 lead into the final period but unable to hang on and dropping the game 118-110.  Both those games were a lot more fun than games one and two, where St. Lucie whupped us 123-102 and 127-101.

Unhappy Holidays for Miles Bulldogs

A dismal December continues for the Miles Bulldogs, following home defeats to Chapel Hill and Galactic.

Antwan Jamison and Rasheed Wallace scored 25 points apiece to lead the Jams to a 105-92 win over the Bulldogs before a looney crowd at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minn. The following night, Ruben Patterson and Terrell Brandon scorched the nets for 20 and 19 points, respectively, to lead the Thunder to a 104-94 victory over the Dogs before the absent crowd at the Mayo Civic Center.

"All our loyal fans have been locked up in the psych ward," said Miles guard Antonio Daniels. "Watching us can do that to a person."

"You've got to be crazy to watch us play," said Miles forward Lorenzen Wright.

Miles, a contending team last year, has fallen by the wayside. Whatever magic the Bulldogs had last year did not carry over to this season.

"We fall behind and can't catch up," said Miles guard Terry Porter.

A poor start from Miles prompted some harsh criticism of owner Tom Jargo from another SABL owner.

"Jargo can't coach; he's not a student of the game," Bettendorf owner Mark Feeney said. "And he's playing without the cards. He's been skating too long. He got cocky, and now he's paying the price. Now, just imagine what I could do with this team."

Criticism noted, says Jargo.

"What I hate most about the Evil Druid is that he's always right -- just ask him, he'll tell you," Jargo said. "My team is crumbling and it's all because of me."

"Jargo should just crawl in a snowbank and die," declared Feeney.

"He's pure evil," Jargo said. "All these mind games. The Bulldogs will be ready when the Druids come to town."

Tigers beat Jams in Brooklyn

Aces beat Tigers in Brooklyn

Dragons have block party in East Asia

East Asia had 17 blocks tonight in a 114-95 victory over the tough Chapel Hill Jams. Big Ben Wallace led with 7, Outlaw 4, the Admiral 3, Mason 2 and Eddie Jones had the last one. The Dragons had 5 scorers with more than 17 points (Mason 26, Robinson 21, Jones 19, Armstrong 17, Mckie 17), while the Jams were led by ex-Dragon Antawn Jamison with 31. Big Ben was super again, with 14 rebs and 7 blocks. Robinson, Mason and George Lynch all reached double digets in rebounds as well. The action moves to Chapel Hill next for the 9-3 Dragons.

Bulldogs best Tulsa in Miles

The Miles Bulldogs started hot, cooled off and then finished hot during a 123-109 victory over Tulsa before a lactose intolerant crowd at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minn.

The Bulldogs raced to an eight-point lead after one quarter, but the Twisters cut the margin in half after three quarters. However, Miles blistered the nets in the fourth quarter, building a 19-point cushion and coasting to victory.

Both teams shot 50 percent from the floor, but Tulsa superstar Shawn Marion managed to hit only 11 of 27 shots.

"Our goal was to get somebody in Marion's way, and it seemed to work," Miles forward Keon Clark said. "At least we didn't make it easy for him."

Ron Mercer led the Bulldogs with 23 points, while Mike Bibby added 21 points and 14 assists. The duo combined to hit 18 of 30 shots from the floor. Antoine Walker pitched in 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Clark scored 16, including 6 of 7 from the floor. (Clark also helped the Bulldogs to a road victory over the Twisters, hitting 8 of 9 shots.)

Marion led the Twisters with 25 points and 8 rebounds. David Wesley added 23 points and 9 assists.

Akron jams Jams at Chapel Hill

Akron defeated the Jams 105 - 104 on a 3 pointer at the buzzer by Ray Allen.  George Lynch hit a driving shot with 7 seconds to put the Jams up 104 - 102. Kevin Garnett was unstoppable with 32 points on 16 - 24 from the floor (no FTA). The Jams were led by Antawn Jamison with 25 points.

Aces beat Bulldogs in Miles

St. Lucie had too many weapons for the outgunned Miles Bulldogs as the Aces won 119-106 before a dizzy crowd at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minn.

The Bulldogs were able to contain Shaq, holding the star center to 12 points on 2 of 8 shooting from the floor. But Kobe Bryant, Chris Webber and Gary Payton picked up the slack with 29, 25 and 21 points, respectively, to lead the Aces past the beleaguered Bulldogs. The Aces hit 38 of 43 free throw attempts en route to victory. Shaq dazzled at the line, hitting 8 of 10 attempts.

Antoine Walker paced the Bulldogs with 28 points, while Patrick Ewing added 17 off the bench.

Dragons and Dogs split at Miles

East Asia proved the superior team by splitting four games with the Chicago Bulls -- a.k.a. The Miles Bulldogs -- before a comatose crowd at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minn.

"The Chicago Bulls are having a better December than we are," Miles forward Antoine Walker said. "It's all very sad."

Game 1: Miles wins 105-102: Walker hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 102 with 1 minute to play. After an East Asia miss, Ron Mercer hit a jumper to give the Dogs the lead. And Dikembe Mutombo hit one of two free throws for a three-point advantage. Darrell Armstrong missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer.

Game 2: MIles wins 130-124: Miles shot an amazing 62 percent from the floor, including 11-16 from beyond the arc. Point guard Mike Bibby had 17 points and 17 assists to lead the Dogs.

"We shot our load, literally and figuratively, in the second game," Miles Coach Hayden Fry said. "We were flat the rest of the series."

Games 3 and 4 went to East Asia by scores of 114-99 and 112-99. Armstrong, Eddie Jones and Anthony Mason proved to be too much for the Dogs in leading the Dragons to a 6-2 advantage in the season series.

"East Asia is the better team," Fry said. "I doubt anyone will touch them in the Royal Conference. They'll be back in the finals.

"But we have some young talent that's getting better," Fry added. "And we're already looking to the 2002 draft. The Dogs are building a foundation."

RICHMOND THUMPS TULSA

For their only visit to Tulsa this season, Richmond dominated the Twisters, winning 130-108. Dirk Nowitzki (27 pts, 6 rb), P. Stojakovic (24 pt), Jamal Mashburn (27 pts) and Mark Jackson (11 pts, 7 assists) were the workhorses for the visitors. Top performers for the Twisters included Tim Hardaway (19 pts), Antonio Davis (17 pts, 10 rb), and David Wesley (23 pts).

"Richmond has a really impressive lineup. When both Nowitzki and Mashburn get hot, watch out," remarked Coach Creider. "That team should go deep into the playoffs. I’m just glad that we only have to play them twice during the regular season."

Going into the new season, Tulsa Twister Coach Philip Creider was well aware that team management expects to see on-court improvement from the team. With that hanging over his head, Coach Creider was less than thrilled to kick off the team’s home play with four games against the mighty St. Lucie Aces. "For our team", remarked Creider, "real on-court improvement must include some victories over the league’s top teams." With the exception of a Game 4 laugher (Aces’ pasting the Twisters 128-98), the Twisters not only played the Aces close in the first three games but also posted a 104-101 victory in

Game 3.

In Game 1, St. Lucie defeated Tulsa 122-111. Shaquille O’Neal (27 pts, 11 rb), Kobe Bryant (24 pt, 2 steals), Sam Cassell (12 assists) and Chris Webber (26 pts, 3 blks) were the workhorses for the Aces. Top performers for the Twisters included Tim Hardaway (23 pts), Antonio Davis (19 pts, 15 rb), and Jermaine O’Neal (15 pts).

"The game was decided in the 1^st Half when we were outscored, 71-50," groaned Creider. "It was nice to see that we challenged in the 2^nd Half to eventually make a game of it. Also nice to see that we can post 111 points against a talented team like the Aces."

Game 2 resulted in a 107-99 victory for the Aces. Shaquille O’Neal (11 rb, 6 blks), Kobe Bryant (22 pt), Sam Cassell (17 pts, 8 assists) and Chris Webber (24 pts, 9 rb) were the workhorses for the Aces. Top performers for the Twisters included David Wesley (27 pts, 4 steals), Shawn Marion (17 pts, 9 rb, 3 blks), and Darius Miles (8 pts, 10 rb in 20 minutes).

"This is one we let slip away," steamed Creider. "We lead 56-52 at halftime and then come out flat in the 3^rd Quarter with the Aces outscoring us 31-16. Boy, I feel most frustrated for Wes; he really wanted this game. Well, for that matter, so did I." The coach refused to comment on the foul discrepancy for the game which had the Aces shooting 33 freebies compared to the Twisters’ 17.

Game 3 had a cleansing effect as the Twisters hung on for a 104-101 victory. There were several stars for the Tulsa team but they were led by David Wesley (19 pts,

2 steals), Shawn Marion (25 pts), Tim Hardaway (15 pts, 5 assists) and Darius Miles (8 pts, 7 rb in 19 minutes). Game winning shot came from Antonio Davis as he took a nice feed from Wesley in the waning moments for a "bucket plus 1." Shaquille O’Neal (12 pts, 11 rb, 3 blks), Kobe Bryant (20 pt), Sam Cassell (14 pts, 7 assists) and Derek Anderson (14 pts) were the top performers for the Aces.

"This is sweet," beamed the Tulsa coach. "St. Lucie battled back from an eight point halftime deficit but we ultimately found a way to win. Wes made a good pass to Tone and he delivered." Tulsa’s cause was aided by some dubious officiating. Antonio McDyess was whistled for two offensive charging calls during the first two offensive opportunities for the Aces. While sub Popeye Jones played admirably in this absence, it still made the Aces a lesser team. "Refs. Hate em one minute, love em the next," mused Creider.

Game 4 featured a major butt-whipping by the Aces as they reminded the Twisters of the talent gap separating the two teams. St. Lucie dominated 128-98 in what was no contest. Score was 75-42 at halftime. Shaquille O’Neal (28 pts, 13 rb, 7 assists, 5 blks),

Kobe Bryant (20 pt, 10 rb), Sam Cassell (18 pts, 12 assists), Gary Payton (26 pts, 8 assists), and Antonio McDyess (12 pts, 6 rb) were the workhorses for the Aces. Top performers for the Twisters included David Wesley (25 pts, 4 assists), Shawn Marion (13 pts, 7 rb, 3 steals), Jermaine O’Neal (14 rb), and Antonio Davis (13 pts, 8 rb).

"St. Lucie definitely sent out a message in this game. Oh well, forget about this one while continuing to build off of our solid performances in the first three games," remarked Creider.

Coach Creider comments on Twister’s 2001 Draft

Tulsa coach, Philip Creider, finally spoke out on his reaction to the recently-concluded rookie draft.

"As far as we are concerned, the draft could not have played out any better. From the git-go, we believed that Darius Miles was the best player in the draft. He clearly is rough around the edges and make take a few years to find his offensive niche but we are confident that he will be a star down the road. Plus, his current Strat card has some solid elements to it so he will help our inside game immediately."

"Prior to the draft, we made the decision to try and move Joe Smith. Thinking being that, with emergence of Tone, Shawn Marion and Jermaine O’Neal plus the probable selection of a big man with our 1^st draft pick, his playing time with us this year would be minimal. Plus, though we like Joe, we felt that his market value would go down with each passing year. With the injuries and anticipated reduced playing time for point guard, Tim Hardaway, we felt that this was a good time to try and improve our depth at that position. Thus, our interest in Alvin Williams and the execution of our trade of Joe for the 10^th overall pick. I must say, however, that I was disappointed with the card Strat gave Al but, even so, he continued to be the man we wanted with that pick. He is now the Toronto Raptor’s starting point guard and he is putting up solid numbers for them. He should be a solid contributor for us for the next few years."

"Wasn’t sure what we would get with our 3^rd pick (23^rd overall) so we were pleased to get Mateen Cleaves. With his reduced playing time with the Sacramento Kings, we realize that he may not help us much next season but he should be valuable in years to come."

Thunder tops Brooklyn 121-104 at Galactic

Brooklyn was lead by Odom with 23 points, 5 rebs and 9 assists. Mobley added 22 points. For The Thunder Malone had 22 pints and 10 boards. Stockton 10 points 12 assists. Richmond added 18 points.
 

Thunder tops Richmond 135-93 at Galactic

Richmond lead by Mashburn with 27. Galactic had 9 players in double figure scoring lead by Malone with 19 as well as 19 rebounds.

Thunder tops Miles 123-111 at Galactic

Miles lead by Bibby with 22 points and 10 assists. Mercer added 21 points. Malone scores 32 for Thunder as well pulling down 9 rebs and dishing out 4 assists. Stockton had 13 points and 10 assists.

Jams keep beating the Thunder, win 2 more at Galactic

Coach Tommy Field's surprising Chapel Hill Jams beat Steve Walters Galactic Thunder 2 out of 4 at Galactic by these scores: 120-113, 99-131, 122-132 and 166-114.

Autoplay Good News Roosters till further notice

Coach Chris Gertridge is without a computer for a few weeks, so please autoplay his team and play both the home and away games in your December and January series' with him and send the results to me.

Here's the latest Strat computer b-ball game bug . . .

The newest bug, as many of you have noticed, is when you try to import game files. When you click the "Process Games Files" button, it takes you to the previous screen. When you click the "Exit" button, it takes you to the game files.

Solution: Click the "Exit" button when you want to import games files and press the Escape key when you want to get back to main menus of the game.

This is just one in a long list of gaming bugs we've had to endure playing this game over the years because there's been no alternative to Strat. That's one of the two major reasons we are considering switching to a new game next season. (The other main reason, of course, is that the game won't even function under Windows XP or 2000 and barely works under other Windows operating systems.)

Perhaps PC Action Basketball will be a better choice for us next season. The website is  http://www.dksports.com/basketball.htm.

Jams shock Galactic by taking 3 of 4 at Chapel Hill

The Thunder did not roar in Chapel Hill as Tommy Field's Jams won three of four games vs. Steve Walters' Galactic squad this year. More news, standings and stats will be coming your way in January.

Asia takes Dogs for 4 at home

THE BROOKLYN EAGLE

Commissioner's Note: According to Brooklyn Coach Steve Feldeim, who writes these ditties for us every year, The Brooklyn Eagle was a daily newspaper published in Brooklyn while it was still a separate city. Brooklyn was a separate city until it was annexed by New York City in the 1890s and the Eagle published until the 1940s.

SPORTS SECTION - December 2, 2001 – Brooklyn, NY 

!HAH!  “Meet the new team, same as the old team.”  To paraphrase Mr.Entwhistle and Company.  The Tigers won their first two games of the season in Akron! and were brimming with optimism, they then proceeded to lose the next two and returned home, dropped four straight to the Blimps (losing by an average of 15pts per game), and it is becoming obvious their’s a coaching problem.  Owner Steve Feldheim took over the reins this season and was outclassed by HAL in the first Home and Away.  Hal splitting vs Akron – Coach Steve losing all four. 

In the four home games Allen and Garnett were virtually unstoppable.  Mobley had a strong series for Brooklyn, McGinnis also but team “star” Lamar Odom seemed to vanish in a “puff of smoke”.  Scoring 13PPg and playing no defense. 

After perhaps the worst rookie draft in history the Tigers are still without an inside presence.  (Elton, please come back).  Management has announced (anyone want to trade) that Odom or Martin is available for a big man.

November trading period over, December period on

Our November trading period is now over. From now until Dec. 31, all trades made will take effect on Feb. 1

Beginning Jan. 1, all trades will take effect next season.