I had to step back and really assess the game between the Nets and Heat that was played last evening, 7:00 P.M., 30 June 2016, at North Highland Assembly of God's Church Gymnasium. As the regular season wind down to two remaining games, 2 and 7 July, I wanted to assess the status of the teams as they make their last push for the playoffs. This has been the toughest season the NOSBL has ever had. All teams recruited players that made each team capable of winning on any given night. We got to watch the Kingdom Ballers, Heat, and Bama Tru Ballers rise from the bottom to become creditable challengers for the National Title. We have had bumps and bruises, along the way, but the teams have managed to regroup and compete.
Before I write each commentary, I apply three viewpoints: 1) As a fan, 2) As a commentator, and 3) As a commissioner. As a fan, I really enjoy watching the players perform with so much passion and to watch our NOSBL "Fanmily" get involved in the game. As a commentator, I make every attempt to give each reader a vision of what happened to cause one team to win and what caused one team to lose. This is not based on a "perfect" expectation, but the basic approach a team should bring to the game. As the Commissioner, I want to see every team have a winning season. I want the players and their families to become and remain members of the NOSBL, forever. We have had a few children to spend every year of their lives around the NOSBL and players and we love them and embrace them with security. This is who we are. This is what we do.
Every sport you play requires one to study the opposition and assess matchups. In boxing, it might be the opponent's reach. In tennis, it might be the speed and accuracy of the first serve. I can go on and on, but I must tie this in to the game between the Nets and Heat. It was clear, to me, that the Nets took the Heat's 7 - 9 record serious, but the Heat did not seem to take their own record serious. They truly approached the game with no apparent strategy or willingness to matchup against their opponents.
The starting lineup, for the Nets, were: #21 Keith LaFavor, #40 Willie Filmore, #19 Santonio Howard, #42 Willie Walker, and #45 Lamont Shuford.
The starting lineup, for the Heat, were: #3 Mike Brown, #11 Norman King, #31 Felton Scott, #24 Sidney Dowlen, and #13 Donald Brophy.
The officials were Ice Elliott and Roydell Smith.
The game started with the Nets winning the tip off followed by a turnover. The Heat received possession of the ball and followed up with a series of missed layups and turnovers. They were completely out of sync while the Nets' Keith LaFavor (#21) was picking them apart with three 3-pointers for nine first half points. The Nets scored on a total of six 3-pointers (3-Keith LaFavor, 1-Willie Walker, 1-Willie Filmore, and 1-Lamont Shuford). Six of the Nets players scored. Sidney Dowlen led the Heat with 9 first half points. Only two additional players scored for the Heat: #3 Michael Brown with 5 points and #17 with 4 points. With 12:13 remaining in the first half, the Nets led the Heat 11 - 2. Both teams committed four team fouls. The first half ended with the Nets 32 and the Heat 18.
The second half was a little different with the Heat's big men: Felton Scott (#17) and Sidney Dowlen (#24) combining for 29 points. At 15:01, the Heat trailed the Nets by 13 points (23 - 36). As the Heat continued to struggle with substitutions (by matchups), defensive formations, and team energy, the Nets hit them - again - with five 3-pointers. Six Nets entered the scoring roster with #42 Willie Walker leading the pack with 12 points. Lamont "No Answer For Me" Shuford added 10 points. Willie Filmore (#40) came into the game to add two 3-pointers; Santonio Howard delivered 6 points; and Trea Tells (#25) chipped in 5 points. With 5:54 remaining in the game, the Nets took a 55 - 40 lead over the Heat and never looked back. The Heat committed nine team fouls that resulted in five points, from the free throw line, for the Nets. The Nets committed five team fouls that resulted in four points, from the free throw line, for the Heat. The game ended with Keith LaFavor (#21) scoring on a 3-point buzzer beater to seal-the-deal, for the Nets, 74 - 52.
The scorers for the Nets were: #42 Willie Walker with 17 points, #45 Lamont Shuford with 17 points, #19 Santonio Howard with 12 points, #21 Keith LaFavor with 12 points, #40 Willie Filmore with 9 points, and #25 Trea Tells with 7 points.
The scorers for the Heat were: #17 Felton Scott with 23 points, #24 Sidney Dowlen with 19 points, #3 Michael Brown with 5 points, #14 Tim Elder with 3 points, and #11 Norman King with 2 points.