The NBBA Finals begin Tuesday night at Ice Storm BC Center, with a full house of 22131 fans expected for Game 1 of the rematch of last year's NBBA Finals, when Ice Storm BC broke the Big 8's stranglehold on the USA national championship and overcoming their own bridesmaid demons to win their first title, using a 31-19 final quarter to break the Ballers in a 91-74 win.
This year promises to be a cracker of a Finals series, with both teams barely breaking a sweat on their way through the playoffs. The Ballers easily disposed of Digging For Change 94-65. DFC had little left in the tank after a stirring run at the end of the season to qualify for the playoffs. Next for the Ballers was their old Big 8 nemesis Salisbury Auerbachs, who remain the only road team to win an NBBA postseason game at Chicago Stadium. The Auerbachs, however, offered little resistance, getting blown out in the half and watching the Ballers cruise to a 116-85 thrashing to claim the Big 8 title.
Ice Storm hardly had any heavy lifting in the Great 8, smashing a depleted Lake Merritt Arrows club, who had decided to start rebuilding early, by 63 points, 115-62. In the final Myopic Marauders had a go at the Stormers, keeping it within 5 at the half, but Ice turned on the jets after the break and hung a frightful beating on the Marauders, outscoring them 44-24 en route to a 94-69 decision.
The Ballers won the only regular season meeting, 82-69, as Saygun Aksinoy had 24 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Ballers.
This will be the 3rd NBBA Finals between the two teams, with the team with home court advantage winning Game 3 in both instances.
Will history repeat itself, or can the Ballers buck the trend? We will find out starting tomorrow night!
NO ONE at this table ordered a rum & Coke
Charles: Penn has some good people
A CT? Really?
Any two will do
Any three for me
Any four will score
Any five are live