TWISTERS TAKE ONE FROM THE THUNDER

With the mighty Galactic Thunder coming to T-Town for a four-game series, Tulsa Coach Philip Creider was truthfully not optimistic about his Twister team’s chances. For that reason, Coach Creider was ecstatic after his Twisters took Game 1 of the series,103-101.

Keys to game boiled down to two main factors: a monstrous team rebounding performance and a career game from Robert Horry. Hidden within the rebounding stats (i.e. Tulsa 39, Galactic 28) was the fact that the Twisters only allowed the Thunder 3 offensive rebounds! Thus, many of Galactic’s offensive series were "one-and-dones". Tulsa put up 85 shots compared to Galactic’s 65.

Robert Horry was amazing, scoring 22 points on 8 for 8 shooting in a mere 20 minutes! He connected on 4 3pts shots; 2 fastbreak shots, 2 inside shots, and 2 ft. Also had 4 rebounds and 4 steals! Said Horry, "I am just trying to show team management that I can still play this game. With Jermaine O’Neal waiting in the wings for next season, I can see the writing on the wall…the team may be tempted to trade me or even leave me unprotected in the draft. I like it here in Tulsa."

Other strong Twister performances included Antonio Davis ( 18 pts/12 rb); Eric Piatkowski (11 pts in 18 minutes). High point man for the Thunder was Terrell Brandon with 22.

"This victory is big for our team. Tonight’s game just shows that, when we play like a team, we can compete against anyone. We just need to continue to improve so that we can go into next year with some momentum."

(The mood in Tulsa changed the following nights as the Thunder was victorious in the remaining 3 games of the series.)

Galactic sweeps Tulsa at home

Game 1) Tulsa 96 Galactic 126

Tulsa lead by LaFrentz 21 points and 9 rebs. Wesley added 17 points and 6 assists. Galactic had 7 men in double figure scoring lead by Kemp with 23 and 13 rebs. Stockton had 10 points and 10 assists.

Game 2) Tulsa 114 Galactic 129

Tulsa had 8 men in double figure scoring lead by Wesley with 17. LaFrentz had 15 with 7 rebs and A.Davis had12 with 9 rebs. Galactic was lead by Richmond with 28 points. Malone had 25 points and 8 rebs. Brandon had 16 points and 8 assists. Stockton 11 points 5 rebs and 7 assists.

Game 3) Tulsa 96 Galactic 105

Tulsa was lead by Wesley with 18 points. Hardaway had 15 points and 7 assists. LaFrentz added 16 points. Galactic was lead by Malone with 24 points and 7 rebs. Stockton had 12 points and 12 assists.

Game 4) Tulsa 83 Galactic 117

Tulsa was lead by A.Davis with 15 points and 7 rebs. LaFrentz with 13 points and 8 rebs. Wesley added 12 points and 5 assists. Galactic was lead by Malone with 22 points and 6 rebs. Stockton had 8 points and 13 assists.

St. Lucie sweeps at Chapel Hill

St. Lucie swept Chapel Hill in four amazingly similar games despite a variety of roster and strategy moves by Jams coach Frank McGuire.  All proved equally ineffectual, perhaps reflecting the failing mental acuity of a man who has been dead for several years.

GAME 1: 120 - 104  Player of the Game: Alan Iverson 20 pts in only 16 minutes.
GAME 2: 119 - 100  Player of the Game: Shaq 27 pts and 15 boards.
GAME 3: 122 - 110 Player of the GAME: Shaq 27 pts and 12 boards.
GAME 4: 122 - 99 Player of the Game: Gary Payton 34 points.

The Aces shot OVER 59% from the floor in each game!

Evil Druids sweep menacing Miles

Game 1: Druids 106, Bulldogs 101.

Miles turns the ball over 30 times. Hornacek hits for 21 points to lead balanced attack.

Game 2: Druids 123, Bulldogs 112.

Once again, poor ball-handling does in Miles, as the Druids force 38 turnovers.

Game 3: Druids 146, Bulldogs 145.

Hornacek hit a driving shot and was fouled with 1 second remaining. He converted the free throw for the victory. Hornacek had 26 points, 14 in the last 6:49 of the game. He hit three-pointers on three straight possessions in one stretch as the Druids battle back from a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Glen Rice had 28 for the Bulldogs. He hit all eight of his field goal tries (including four threes.) Mike Bibby played a fine game -- 21 points, 13 assists, only one turnover. The Bulldogs cut their turnovers by 20 down to 18 from the previous game's 38.

Miles takes three of four from Akron

Miles' home winning streak is over, but the Bulldogs managed to take three of four from the Akron Blimps before a numb crowd at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minn.

Game 1 (Miles 116-114): Miles nursed a tender lead throughout the contest. The Bulldogs led by four with 11 seconds to go. Akron's Ray Allen was fouled and sank two free throws as the clock ran out for the final margin. Antoine Walker led 7 Bulldogs in double-figures with 20 points. He added 9 rebounds and 3 blocks. Glen Rice pitched in 18 points and 9 assists for the Bulldogs. Antonio Daniels was a spark off the bench for Miles, scoring 10 points in 11 minutes while Mike Bibby sat with fouls. Allen led the Blimps with 33 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, but Kevin Garnett was held to 15 points on 6-21 from the floor.

Game 2 (Miles 116-108): Miles built a 16-point lead through three quarters. Another balanced attack for the 'Dogs as Rice led seven players in double-figures with 24 points. Bibby added 18 points and 12 assists, while Keon Clark sparkled off the bench with 11 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Garnett paced the Blimps with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks. Allen went cold and had only 15 points on 5-18 from the floor.

Game 3 (Akron 121-109): Garnett was a one-man wrecking crew with 43 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks. Damon Stoudamire added 17 points and 10 assists. Akron built a 16-point lead through three quarters, but the game was pretty much a route as the Bulldogs struggled with poor shooting and foul trouble. Walker was saddled with three fouls early and sat most of the game. The Bulldogs played the bench most of the fourth quarter. Rasho Nesterovic got his first extended playing time with the Bulldogs and responded with 9 points and 8 rebounds in 22 minutes.

Game 4 (Miles 145-129): Miles went on an 18-4 run midway through the fourth quarter to break open a close game.

"Akron ticked us off," said Walker, who led the Dogs with 32 points and 12 rebounds. "You have to protect your home turf in this league, and we don't like losing before the Mayo faithful -- especially when they're drunk and carrying weapons, which is most nights. That fourth-quarter run was the best stretch of basketball we've played all season."

Rice pitched in 24 points for Miles, and Doug Christie added 20 points, 6 assists and 3 steals off the bench. Allen led the Blimps with 35 points - including 7 three-pointers - 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Garnett, saddled with fouls, was limited to 14 points.

MCLEAN WELCOMES NEW SAN JOSE OWNER BY DROPPING TWO OF THREE

The Nats went out of their way to be hospitable, particularly in game one, when they allowed 58 percent shooting and threw in 26 turnovers.  They fell badly, 126-104 as Paul Pierce had 25 to lead six Swish in double figures.  Jerry Stackhouse had 28 and Jalen Rose 19.  The Nats rebounded strongly in game two, 131-104, as Stackhouse hit his season high with 48, plus nine boards and 7 assists.  Van Exel added his season high with 25, includeing four of five three point shots.  Eric Snow had 24 as the Nats often left him open while double-teaming Abdur-Rahim.  The third game of the series was the fun one, with the Swish pulling it out in the last 30 seconds, 113-110.  Pierce scored on a drive to give the Swish a two point lead, and Rose missed.  Pierce gave the Nats a chance when he hit only one of two three throws, but Rodney rodgers was called for traveling on the three point attempt.  Stackhouse had 35 and Pierce, 25.

Aces and Thunder split their series 4-4

St. Lucie held on to first place by splitting the final two games at Galactic:

Game 1 - Aces 141, Thunder 132

"I'm tired of scoring 130 points and still losing to those damn Aces," said Galactic Coach Steve Walters. "It ain't fair."

Ace Gary Payton lead St. Lucie with 29 points. Chris Webber had 24, Shaquille O'Neal 22 and Grant Hill 20 points and 10 assists. Sudden Sam Cassell scored 14 with 13 assists.

Karl Malone lead Galactic with 34 points, going 18-20 from the foul line. Terrell Brandon had 13 assists.

Game 2 - Thunder 120, Aces 114

"I'm tired of of this 'Hack-an-Ace' defense Walters is using against me. 34 foul shots made in this game, 36 in the last," said Ace Coach Scott Ellis. "The commissioner ought to investigate. Wait a second, I am the commissioner."

Shawn Kemp lead Galactic with 23 points, while Webber led the Aces with 28. Cassell had 14 points and 14 assists.

Aces rally, take first two at Galactic, go back in first

St. Lucie inched back into first place in the South Division over defending SABL champs Galactic by winning the first two games of their away series at the Thunder Dome.

Game 1 - 140-119

Shaquille O'Neal had the league's third triple-double this year, scoring 18, boarding 12 and dishing out an amazing 10 assists. Two of the other SABL triple-doubles this year belong to Shaq's teammate, Gary Payton. Chris Webber added 30 points and Payton scored 19 with 12 assists. Grant Hill had 26 points. The Aces shot 64 percent from the field in both games, while Galactic shot 58 and 57 percent respectively. The Aces were 20-27 from the foul stripe, while Galactic went 16-17.

In this game, Galactic's Karl Malone scored 26, but only was 4-4 from the foul line. Terrell Brandon went nuts, scoring 25 and dishing out 11 assists. Galactic was miserably from three-point land, going 5-21.

Game 2 - 137-133

A real barnburner with the game up in the air the whole time. It was 137-133 at the 18-second mark in the 4th when Malone missed a penetration shot for Galactic, giving the Aces the win.

Grant Hill scored 27 and had 7 assists in this win, with Webber scoring 25 and O'Neal and Payton scoring 21 each. Shaq had 10 rebounds and Sudden Sam Cassell had 10 assists. Malone scored 22 points, but again didn't reach the foul line much, going 4-5. John Stockton had 10 assists and Chris Gatling had 19 points in 16 minutes.

With the series even at 3-3, the final two games take place soon, with the divisional title still at stake. Stay tuned.

Galactic takes two of three from San Jose at home

Game one: San Jose 105 Galactic 128

San Jose was lead by Pierce with 22 points and Abdur-Rahim with 18 points 7 reb and 5 assists. Galactic had 7 players in double figure scoring

lead by Colman with 20. Stockton had 16 points and 16 assists. Galactic shot 70% as a team.

Game 2 San Jose 114 Galactic 107

San Jose scored 33 points in 4th quarter and held Galactic to 19 to take game 2. San Jose had 3 players with 20 points (Pierce 26, Abdur-Rahim 22, and Marshall with 21. San Jose made 24-30(80%) free throws to Galactic 9-12(75%). Galactic was lead by Stockton wth 28 points and 9 assists.

Game 3 San Jose 95 Galactic 112

San Jose was lead by Abdur-Rahim with 25 points and 9 rebounds. Pierce added 19 points and 4 assists. The Thunder had 9 players in double figure scoring with Brandon leading the way with 15. Malone had 14 points and 13 rebounds. Stockton 12 points and 10 assists. Galactic out shot San Jose 59%-44%.

The races continue . . .

With the season past the halfway point, East Asia is defending its East Division crown with a 2-game lead over Miles, while Richmond and Akron have fallen off the pace. The North is still a four-way Feeney battle, while defending SABL champion Galactic is clinging to a percentage point lead over St. Lucie in the South. The West is seeing a 3-way battle shaping up between Finney, San Jose and Sublimity. It's great fun and it's competive. I'll have new team-by-team and league leader stats up by the end of the month.

BROOKLYN WINS (UMM..LOSES) 2-3 IN BATTLE FOR THE BASEMENT WITH IOWA

After a well played opening game won by the Tigers 121-112. The series went downhill. For the Tigers.

Game one. Brooklyn with P.J. Brown in foul trouble (only played 5 minutes before fouling out) responded with strong bench performances from Walker (13p,6rb), Rose (11pt), Bowen (13pt) and Benjamin (14pt). 8 players in all hit dbl. figures led by Odom with 21. Iowa was led by Van Horn with 23, and Carter who scored 21 despite being double teamed all game. Smith (left open much of the game) responded to this with 17 pts. Both teams shot over 50% from the field.

Game 2 Iowa stopped Brooklyn 113-95. Carter again double teamed scored 22. DeClerq,Smith,MacCullough, and Simpkins scored 33, as Brooklyn’s defensive strategy backfired. Mobley led the Tigers with 23.

Game 3 opened with a pathetic 1^st half. Brooklyn led 47-43 (with 2:00 left the score was 38-35 Iowa). Both teams shooting under 40%, 63% from the line, and combining for 20 turnovers. In the second half Iowa came to life scoring 62 and holding the Tigers to 34. Cummings and Chucky Brown alone had 7 personals in the the 3^rd qtr., as Brooklyn gave up 38 points from the line on 37 fouls. Lamar Odom limited to 13 minutes due to foul trouble (2 in the second half)was a non-factor in the game. Desperate for points in the second half the Tigers top 3 point shooters (Bowen .583, Mobley .483, Benjamin .327 ) shot 0-13 from the arc. Francis led Iowa with 22, Van Horn had 18 as they cruised to a 105-81 victory.

LONGHORNS SWEEP THE TWISTERS

The Finney Longhorns rolled into Tulsa and swept the outclassed Twisters in 3 games.

In Game # 1, Finney jumped out in front (28-17 after Quarter 1) and never looked back, winning 113-92. Longhorn highlights included K. Bryant (35 pts), A. Hardaway (16 pts), and T. Hill (15 pts), team FG % (56%), and FT (22/27 81%). To try and keep pace, the Twisters elected to launch 30 3PT shots, hitting a respectable 43%. In fact, the Twister’s 3 PT % outperformed their total FG % (42%).

The embarrassing play (and poor Tulsa defense) continued in Game #2 as the Longhorns whooped the Twisters, 111-91. Finney led 38-16 after Quarter 1 and that was all she wrote. At end of Quarter 1, Finney highlights included FG % (18/20 90%), R. Strickland (8 AS), rebounding (13), and 9 Finney players with points. Surprisingly, Tulsa worked hard to get the point differential down to 9 with 5 minutes left in the game but ran out of gas as Finney outscored them the rest of the way by 11 points. Final Finney game highlights included R. Strickland (18 AS), K. Bryant (28 pts), team FG % (57%). Tulsa shot a piss poor FG % (33/90 37%) and 3PT % (12/50 24%). G. McCloud especially stunk shooting 2/16 13% from 3 point land.

Game #3 started with high hopes with the score tied at 27 after Quarter #1. All that changed, however, in Quarter #2 as Finney outscored Tulsa 32-18. Final score was 122-90. Finney players – K Bryant (can’t somebody stop the guy!), A. Hardaway, R Strickland – ended up with 22 points. T. Best also poured in 19 pts. There were no Tulsa highlights to speak of.

Frustrated Twister coach, Philip Creider, remarked "What a lousy way to start the new millennium. I knew that this 3-game series would be tough since we were not at full strength. I needed to bite the bullet and give Timmy Hardaway the series off. I sorta overplayed him last month so I need to address his overusage situation. Gave Childs some more minutes and brought up Jumaine Jones from injured reserve. Ju showed some promise but Chris’s play was disappointing. Bottom line, though, is that I don’t think Timmy’s presence would have changed the game results…. Oh, by the way, I never want to see Kobe or Strickland ever again. Damn, it seemed like ever time I blinked Strickland had another dazzler."

McLEAN TAKES TWO OF THREE FROM SUBLIMITY
    After dropping three to the Senators on the road, the Nats came within an eyelash of sweeping their home series.  They dropped the first game, 120-116, as their furious fourth quarter rally fell just short.  They had tied the game with under a minute to go when Elton Brand scored on a follow shot after an offensive rebound.  Jalen Rose missed a jumper and the Senators added two after the intentional foul.  Glenn Robinson led the Senators with 35, while Jerry Stackhouse and Rose had 25 each for the Nats.  Game two was also hard fought, but this time the Nats maintained an eleven point first period lead nearly the whole game and won 129-121.  Allan Houston had 26 and Brand 25 (with 9 offensive rebounds), but Stackhouse had 35 and Rose 27.  Game 3 was a rout, with the Nats pouring it on in the second half to win 137-107.  In their best game of the year against a quality opponent, Stackhouse went wild with 38, including 19 for 22 from the foul line.  The Senators committed 38 fouls, and the Nats punished them for it with 48 of 54 free throws made.  Mourning couldn't clog up the middle when sitting on the bench in foul trouble.

Galactic takes three of four from Aces at St. Lucie

The Thunder held on to its percentage point lead over St. Lucie by splitting games three and four in their away series at the A-Dome.

Game 3 - St. Lucie 125-Galactic 111

Sudden Sam Cassell had 10 assists for the Aces, Shaq had 33 points and Gary Payton 26 in this win. Galactic's Karl Malone scored 36 points and Mitch Richmond had 21.

Game 4 - Galactic 138-St. Lucie 135

This thriller went right down to the final 30 seconds but Galactic three-pointers (9 for 19) were the difference. The Thunder's Malone had 22 points, Richmond 23 and Terrell Brandon scored 27. Derrick Coleman had 10 rebounds.  For st. Lucie, Shaq scored 33 with 10 boards, Grant Hill had 23 points and Chris Webber scored 22.

The action now moves to the Thunder Dome for four games that could decide the South Division title.

Nats knock off three of four in Chapel Hill

Nats return favor by taking 3 of 4 from Jams.  Rose and Stackhouse overwhelmed Jams defense on the perimeter.  The pre-season Davis FOR Googs/Harrington looked good for McLean, as Davis played hit 9 of 14 from the floor in game 1 while the ex-Nat duo have yet to find a solid spot in the rotation.

Druids dump on Raiders at home

The Richmond Raiders presented Bettendorf with some match-up problems in the first game, but the Druids bounced back to take the last two of a three-game series.

 

Game 1

Michael Finley and Jamaal Mashburn combined for 59 points in the Raiders' 134-130 overtime victory.

"When they came out with Dirk Nowitzki & Earvin Johnson outside, we weren't sure what kind of defense to play," Mookie Blaylock said. "Somehow having our big men away from the basket on defense opened up the game for Finley and Mashburn."

Fred Hoiberg's three-pointer at the buzzer forced the overtime.

 

Game 2

Sam Perkins' three-point shooting led the Druids to a 109-100 victory. Perkins hit 4-of-5 threes and totaled 14 points in Bettendorf's balanced attack.

 

Game 3

Jeff Hornacek and Fred Hoiberg kept Richmond at bay down the stretch in a 122-118 victory. Hornacek scored seven of  his 30 points in the last four minutes and Hoiberg, who finished with 15, had nine.

Miles sparkles at the Mayo

Glen Rice and Mike Bibby sparkled in their debut as the Miles Bulldogs swept the Brooklyn Tigers before an alcoholic crowd at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minn.

Rice shot 54 percent from the field and averaged 17 points a game in the four-game sweep. Bibby, who struggled from the floor hitting only 16 of 57 shots, sparkled as the floor general, dishing out 34 assists while turning the ball over only 7 times. He also had 9 steals in the four games.

"Mike struggled with his shot, but the rest of his game was right on target," Miles coach Hayden Fry said. "He did what we got him to do."

Game 1 (99-92): Any ugly game. No team wanted to win. No team deserved to win. Brooklyn shot 40 percent from the field; Miles shot 38 percent. Miles pulled its starters with a double-degit lead with under 6 minutes to play, but had to reinsert the starters after Brooklyn closed to 94-90 with a furious rally due in large part to butchered free throw attempts by the Bulldogs. Antoine Walker led Miles with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Lamar Odom paced the Tigers with 21 points, while P.J. Brown added 13 points and 14 rebounds.

Game 2 (117-100): Brooklyn had 28 turnovers and shot 40 percent -- not a good combination. Walker led Miles with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, while Rice added 22. Cuttino Mobley led the Tigers with 25 points.

Game 3 (101-83): Another ugly game. The teams combined for 55 turnovers -- 30 by Brooklyn, which shot just 38 percent. Miles shot 43 percent. The Bulldogs held Brooklyn to only 32 second-half points, while scoring only 40 themselves. The fourth quarter was only 19-18 -- good thing the crowd was too drunk to notice. Rice steamed the Tigers with 21 points, while Walker added 16 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks. Mobley scored 21 and Odom added 17 for Brooklyn.

Game 4 (118-109): Miles overcame 28 turnovers to win. The Bulldogs outscored the Tigers 33-22 in the second quarter, and that's where the game was won and lost. Walker had 23 points and 10 rebounds. Ron Mercer added 19 points, and Dikembe Mutombo had 12 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks for the Bulldogs. Odom sparked the Tigers with 27 points and 11 rebounds.

Welcome to our new San Jose coach, Chris Gertridge

A good friend of Paul Bennett's and another Asian resident, Chris Gertridge, is the new coach of the San Jose Swish. Please email all instructions and results for San Jose to Chris at snappydresser@hotmail.com. Chris also lives in the same town as East Asis Coach Paul Bennett - Chiang Mai, Thailand. I will be getting Chris's international phone number soon.

With San Jose's new coach, all penalty points have been wiped from the franchise and he starts with a clean slate. Drop Chris an email and welcome him to the SABL, America' number one Strat computer play-by-mail league!

All trades made from now on are for next season

Another important date, Dec. 31, has come and gone, and you can't make any more trades for this season or the playoffs. All trades made from now until November are for next season. Roster sizes, however, must stay at a maximum of 14 until you are eliminated from the playoffs.

All December games are played! On to January games!

It's Jan. 1 and all December SABL games have been played. Thanks for getting the job done and having fun doing it.

Now it's time to send out your January instructions and start playing January games. I have emailed all of you our new Jan. 1 LEAGUES.EXE league disk WHICH MUST BE USED IN ALL YOUR JANUARY SABL GAMES. It's also on our website at our 2000-01 League Disk link for download.

Once you get the LEAGUES.EXE file, just double-click on it and it will automatically extract into your C:\SOMBK\LEAGUES directory and everyone will have the exact same league disk to play off of. That means less statistical and game plan mistakes due to all the trades that go into effect on Jan. 1. Thanks to you all playing your games on time, this new league disk was possible, so WAY TO GO!!!

At the end of December, defending Royal Conference Champ East Asia is atop the East Dvision, while the four Feeneys continue their dogfight in the North. In the South, the Aces hold on to their slim lead over defending SABL Champion Galactic while Finney hangs on to a slim lead over up and coming Sublimity in the West.