Week One, October 29, 2011
Game One / Syracuse Nationals (1-0) 39 – New York Nets (0-1) 37
What a game to start the PFL season. 00:00.8 seconds remaining; that’s when the final hoop was scored. One thing: I want to emphatically deny rumors from “sources that wish to remain anonymous” that an email from league offices went out the day before the game to members of the Nets asking if they wanted wholesale trades because, as the unnamed source claimed, the Nets looked to be on-paper the weakest team in the league. Sources went on to quote a member of the Nets “We’re good with our team”. From the looks of this game, I’d guess they are. (Lone National not reporting for duty: Tim Fredette; one Net tangled up elsewhere: Steve Luszcz)
Bird and Dominique (not THAT GAME) Box Score
Game Two / Fort Wayne Pistons (1-0) 57 – Buffalo Braves (0-1) 42
The Fort Wayne Pistons looked more like a combination of the ’88 Pistons and the ’88 Lakers. That is to say, lock down defense and a “Showtime Offense”. It’s time to invoke another pro team: the ’27 Yankees, as in, “breakup the Yankees”! Sorry, Pistons, but your roster is about to look a lot different next week. (Who knows? Maybe better.) But didn’t Mara Schanfield enjoy the time she had lining up those threes? (All Pistons lined up; Braves missing Garrett Bernstein, Josh Kratka)
Game Three / Rochester Royals (1-0) 40 – Kansas City Kings (0-1) 26
“When We Were Kings” will be the slogan for a soon to be departed quartet of Kings. They looked good, but theyll look better on the aforementioned Pistons. Meanwhile, Tim Knauer looked like a regal Royal poised for an MVP run. (lone absent Royal: Jean Millette; all Kings at the festivities)
Bird 53 pt game Box Score (no 3 pters!)
Game Four / Philadelphia Warriors (1-0) 40 – Providence Steamrollers (0-1) 34
With #45 Chris Ryan playing like Jumpin’ Joe Fulks, the Warriors, sans all-time PG Dan Ziminski, made the Steamrollers look like cement mixers. Providence could have made some more FTs (anything under 67% is embarrassing, isn’t it?) and they could have gone to #18 Shawn Fitzpatrick more in the post (we didn’t even see one jump hook and he’s got the sweetest jump hook in PFL history!). Word has it that the we-got-Steamrolled squad is hoping for a re-match in the playoffs. (Warriors not at the ambush: Chris Roehl, Dan Ziminski; all Steamrollers rolled)
Bird’s First triple-double Box Score
Game Five / St. Louis Hawks (1-0) 55 – Minneapolis Lakers (0-1) 37
Lest observers think the Hawks are a one-man show (that man being 21 pt, 10 reb newcomer Nnamdi Nwachukwu) be aware that they handed out 15 assists on 21 baskets, made all 8 FTs, and shared the minutes like fresh carrion, as well. For the Lakers, I liked how Chizzy posted up. Brings to mind the ol’ Minn. Laker himself: George Mikan. (Missing Hawk: Ed Wolf; Absent Lakers: Chris Cassel, Chris McIntyre, Josh Pepin, Raemin Wang – 2 former MVPs in that group)
