~ Malden Neighborhood Basketball League ~

Madness Mayhem

Saturday, March 19: Game 1 – Sixers 87, Bullets 55

  The Crimson maintained their dominance this season by taking care of the very young Boys in Blue, who held their own the best they could as they squeaked into the fourth slot at the last minute. The Bullets’ top scorers were Cameron Kilpatrick (14), Logan Guertin (11) and Paccini Louis (10), but they just couldn’t keep up the pace – but have a great future if they can all return next season. The Sixers’ top guns were Ross Dyer (35) and Darrens Roc (18), but they also got some big help from Ivan Tao (13) and Gui Nommi (12); they went up 8, 12, 17 – basically game over – moving to the title game, still unblemished.

  Game 2 – Pistons 54, Sonics 43: The Pistons had to come back from a 10-point deficit at the half and did it in fine fashion by holding the Sonics to just three points in the third quarter as they scored 14 to gain the lead & not look back. Everyone scored for the Pistons in this contest: Jayson Dos Reis led with 13; Bobby Spoto & Nikoliss McDuffie each scored 11. The Sonics were led by Jameel Dorceena (22, the game high) and Isiah Normil (13); they just needed a more balanced attack as only four of the eight scored for them this game.

Sunday, March 20: Game 1 – Coaches 77, Players 72

  A different game to end a different type of season, as only six players dressed for the All-Stars going up against nine coaches. The Players were all over the place, causing havoc to the older Coaches. But when “Mighty” Joe Young (Celtics Coach) took over the third, scoring 11 of his 28, and Kings Coach Rob Hart hit three from deep in the same quarter, ending with 15, the Coaches basically got & kept the lead the remainder of the contest, especially when it was A. Cohen carrying them in the second quarter, scoring all 10 of his for the Coaches. The Players were led by Oscar Ruan with a game high of 32 – who also dropped an All-Star record of 8 from the 3-point area – and Logan Guertin, who scored 13 in this close loss for the players. Coaches back on top, after losing the previous two contests!

  Three-Point Contest: won by Sixers – Ivan Tao.

  Hot Shot Contest: won by Hawks – Oscar Ruan.

  Game 3 – Sixers 70, Pistons 50: The Pistons, for a bit, slowed the normally “foot on the pedal” Sixers in the first half, but thanks to the odds-on favorite for League MVP – Ross Dyer – who took over the second half by scoring 34 of his game high 43, followed by Darrens Roc with 14, they were en route to the Championship Victory. Bobby Spoto (25) & Jayson Dos Reis (13) did what they could, and they were only down by one at the halfway break, but then got outscored by 15 in the third. R. Dyer dropped 20 alone in that quarter. The Pistons just couldn’t stop the man but should still hold their heads up high for rocking the second-place slot most of the year as well as making the Big Dance. The year 2022 is in the Books with just the Banquet to come soon enough.