Game 3 Recap

Game 3
Flying Elephants vs. The Blazers

Team Member Grades

NK47 (A) – Noel played an unconscious game on both ends of the floor. Really stepped up his game when his team needed him most.

Anicito (B+) – played lock down defense on the Blazers’ best player and even felt some offense come back slowly.

K-Diggs (B) – hard fouls and intimidating beard cleared the way for Kenny to grab a tremendous amount of rebounds. Some mental mistakes on defense led to easy baskets.

Robbie Hart (A) – Robbie’s offense and shooting ability were once again prevelant and extrememly necessary for the Elephants to be competitive.

Buffalo Ant (B) – Anthony’s having a hard time finding his shot but it was his defense and rebounding that was needed most for the Elephants last night.

Ritchie Rich (N/A) – Ritchie was a last minute scratch as the team found out he was commissioned by Allan Houston to work on his jump shooting in Houston’s last ditch effort to crack the NBA.

B-Cyrious (N/A) – dinner party to celebrate Kristie’s birthday. Happy birthday Kristie, remember when you used to come to our games?

Last night was a night of mixed emotions for the Flying Elephants. The Blazers had acquired former Elephant James Schories, who became an unrestricted free agent, in the off-season. The Elephants made a contract offer on the low end of what James was looking for due to concerns about his weekly attendance. Then the Blazers swooped in and put James in a position to join their team. James’ mere presence was heartwarming. Thoughts of his half closed eyes, phantom jump rope dance, and bewildered look whenever the team talked about defensive schemes tiptoed back into everyone’s head. It wasn’t long ago that James was a part of the championship team that defeated cross town rival Queens. Still fresh with feelings of camaraderie, the Elephants had to now go from friend to foe in a matter of a couple of weeks.

Anicito was summoned with the task of playing James in a box-in-one defense. Even though James wasn’t the prolific scorer that box-in-one’s are meant for, his pure ability to control a game with drives to the basket and clear court vision can get debilitating. Coach Kenny knew that stopping him at the source was key to a victory and since in Kenny’s warped mind James stood less than six feet, Anicito was his man (although there is no truth to that, Anicito can and will guard anyone between six-seven feet, 7’1 and over might pose a problem). So the task was set. The other four Elephants would sit in a box zone and try to contain the other Blazers who had some threats in James Glass’ three point shot and madman Pat who can hurt any team on the boards. The Elephants had to also be aware of Casey who the Elephants had signed to an offer sheet in the off-season but the Blazers quickly matched, as they had an enormous amount of cap room after AJ and the kid with the headband and John Leguizamo mustache left for free agency. Casey was a big man who could finish but not a killer so the Elephants were willing to take their chances.

The Blazers got off to a 7-0 lead and left the Elephants searching for answers on how to get going on the offensive end. After a couple of outside jump shots that didn’t go down the Elephants decided to attack the basket. Going to the low post with Anthony and Anicito, opened things up on the outside for Robbie and Noel to pour in the shots. And that is exactly what they did. With much of the attention being paid on Robbie, Noel was left more open than a bottle of Sprite at a pizza party, except Noel wasn’t flat. Noel was the Hudson, water! The Elephants pulled ahead as they went on a 19-9 run to overtake the lead. The Blazers would not crumble however. With each bucket, the Blazers answered with a tantalizing force in their big men. An out of shape Ronny Seikly filled the paint and hit some crucial outside shots. Casey cleaned the boards, keeping the Elephants on their heels. By half time the Elephants led 28-24.

Coming out of the break the Elephants knew that they needed to pull from within to win this game. With only 5 men on the active roster, there wasn’t going to be any backup. The Elephants would get a bucket, the Blazers would match. They ruled the day, we held the night. It was an exchange of tremendous heavyweight blows, Rocky IV style. The game was tight as the half wound down. But that was all dissipated when Noel and Robbie made big shots and more importantly capitalized on free throw opportunities.

The Elephants won in convincing fashion. Beating a very good team, while being undermanned. The team is now 3-0. A big game versus Queens is coming up but the Elephants will be once again short as the Mahlers are heading away for business. Some key reserves might have to be called up from the D-league.

Game 2 Recap

Game 2 Recap

The Flying Elephants vs. Golden Sunshine (Chucky)

Team Member Grades

NK47 (B) – Couldn’t quite get the sharpshooter to come out last night but was a staple in the offense and filled up the zone defense.

Anicito (B-) – Continues to struggle in the offense, commited some early turnovers but used his defense to try to make a statement .

K-Diggs (B) – Hit the boards nicely and committed some timely fouls.

Richy Rich (B) – Couldn’t find his shot last night but was a good facilitator in the offense, moving the ball. Found himself too deep in the zone to get out to shooters.

B-Cyrious (A-) – dominated the glass and cleaned up the boards. Rebounded well but needs to move more within the zone defense.

Buffalo Ant (B+) – his offensive game didn’t show through until the very end but his defense and rebounding really helped.

Robbie Hart (A-) – picked up the Elephants scoring load as usual. As with Ritchie, he wasn’t getting out to the perimeter to defend the shooters.

Tonight would present the Elephants with another challenge. Still finding their identity with new teammate Richy Rich Mahler, the Elephants faced an opponant that resembled a Chucky doll. Those of you who are horror film fans should remember the 1988 classic. The movie about a doll with red hair and freckles who wore overalls and sneakers. When somehow possessed by the devil, the 24inch doll awoke and became this menacing killer. (Note to Kenny, Brian, Noel and Brittany: Would you also consider this movie a masterpiece of horror?? “Hi, Im Chucky want to play?”) Its not that the team was 24inches with ginger hair, but they had a deceptive look to them. They looked corney and dorky. They had a goofy big man, a milky white, blonde headed boy, of the 6, 4 wore glasses, they didn’t look like ball players. However, on the court they were cold blooded killers. Maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but relatively speaking they could be competitve, hell they were in the JCC finals last season, so that has to say something.

Coach K-Diggs wanted to try something new last night within the offense. He instituted himself into the starting lineup and benched Buffalo Ant. This had nothing to do with personal performance, it had more to do with getting Ritchie and Robbie open looks off his menacing screens. To open the game this worked well, and the Elephants took a 16-10 lead. The 3-2 zone that the Elephants played in had its holes. The Golden Girls moved the ball well and the Elephants had a hard time rotating which created open shots that were exploited. When the Golden Child’s made their first sub it was a ghost of Christmas past, Sally Sideburns. One of the original members of the Flying Elephants, Sally Sideburns looked the same and unfortunetley played the same. He was aggressive and out of control but hustled which some could make the case made him an asset.

Throughout the first half the Elephants held a 6-8 point lead all the way through. With two minutes left in the half Robbie Hart subbed and another unlucky bathroom visit by Kenny (note: anytime Kenny goes to the bathroom, peculiar things occur), the Elephants committed turnovers and mishaps that brought the Golden Nuggets even to end the half, 28-28.

The second half was no better for the Elephants. The offense was stagnant and the defense was fatiuging. The game was at a stalemate when the 5 on court decided to go from a 3-2 to a 2-3 zone (another note: we need to have 1 voice on this team or it’s not going to work. There seems to be too many chiefs and not enough native americans (they’re not indians, Columbus didn’t realize that the continenant he landed on was a new world and not India)). The Goldtooth Grenades hit four consecutive three-point shots on the defenders at the top of the key. The Elephants found themselves down by 5 with four minutes to go. B-Cyrious was eating boards and getting put backs like they were going out of style. And Robbie did what he could to keep the Elephants as close as possible. At the 3 minute mark, the Golden Grease Crotchers were holding the ball. An insensed Anicito literally almost tackled one of the kids who looked a Weezer band member in a blind rage. This was his way of saying we need to go to a man defense and not let them hold the ball against us. And that’s what the Elephants had to do, they had no choice with the game winding down.

The Elephants found themselves getting stops and attacking the basket. Robbie Hart got an open look for a three (his foot might have been over the line…but Mike the Worst Ref in the Universe didn’t see it). Another stop by the Elephants and B-Cyrious gets his own miss and lays it in to tie the game. The Elephants foul their big man to put him to the line. He misses the first. Misses the second but oh wait, Mike The Worst Ref in the Universe calls a lane violation on Ritchie. Redo the shot but he misses anyway. 46 seconds left and the Elephants want to hold for the last shot but a double came onto Robbie, he splits it and gets an open lane where he gets fouled. He sinks both free throws. A quick outlet by Golden Goose Squad and the kid Vin gets his only basket to tie the game with 20 seconds left. Once again the Elephants plan for the last shot. Ritchie bringing up the ball, makes a bad pass to Robbie but it hits off his leg and come right back to Ritchie. The clock is rapidly winding down. Robbie cant get, open, Buffalo Ant gets a pass on the wing and sinks his only three of the game to put the Elephants ahead with .5 seconds left. It was a marvelous victory for the Elephants as they go to 2-0 on the season.