Recaps and the Spin for 5/26

(Breaking the fourth wall momentarily here, but just as an explanation-- I will first give a couple hard facts and stats about each game, then give a brief analysis for each team).

It was another action-packed day in the Hoops League, with a season-saving victory, a nail-biting thriller a dominant performance and a stunning road upset. We've got it all covered below.

Canny's Huge Second Half Rallies Cosmos Past Stars for Key Victory

LOS ANGELES-- During the first half of the Cosmos-Stars bout on Wednesday, you would have been forgiven for forgetting that the Cosmos had recently acquired Joseph Canny. He was a ghost player during the first half, scoring just 3 points on just 1/2 shooting from the field as his Cosmos slipped behind the Stars 21-17 at the half, the very Stars team that had traded him just days ago. Yet during the second half, Canny was a beast unleashed, scoring 17 of his 20 points while shooting a cool 5/6 from 3 point range, en route to pushing the Cosmos past the Stars in a 46-35 victory. "That's why we wanted him on the team," one Houston executive said. "For games like that."

Jose Mendes was the Cosmos second-leading scorer with 12 points on 6/12 shooting, while Stronk and Rizky led the Stars with 13 and 8 points respectively. After the win, the Cosmos improved to 5-15, while the Stars dropped to 7-13.

The SPIN: There were really encouraging signs for both teams during this genuinely entertaining scrappy game. For Houston, the win pulls them to within 2 games of the 2nd spot in the West with just 8 games to go, meaning their playoff hopes are on life support. Moreover, Joseph Canny looked a lot like the superstar they presumably thought they were trading for, and his red-hot performance from the field gives them hope that he may have shaken his monthslong slump. That said, they can't expect that performance every night. For LA, Polan Stronk looked like the guard of the future, scoring 13 points on 6/11 shooting while also notching 5 assists. He still lost 3 turnovers though, and Los Angeles' 12 TOs overall likely cost them the game, so there is plenty of room for improvement.

Miami Coughs Up 2OT Game Against Yensid-Less Blues

MIAMI-- No Yensid, no problem for the Chicago Blues, apparently, as they eked out a 41-38 2OT victory over the Tides to stretch their winning streak to 8 games. "When you're a championship contender, you can't expect to just give up once the star guy goes down," said Aaron Fiedelak of the Blues. "Being a contender and making it big in this league is all about having that next-man-up mentality." That next man up is Fiedelak himself, who notched his second straight POTG award after scoring 13 points and nabbing 6 steals for Chicago.

Miami led 26-16 at halftime, but Chicago opened the second half with a 12-2 run headed by their stalwart defense, pulling the two even. After that, it was a tight game the whole way, with 2 overtimes being needed to finish the game off. Tristan Ewer of the Tides missed a game-tying shot in the final overtime period that may have forced a third consecutive OT period. "It's a long season, man," said Ewer with a laugh after the game. "Can't let it bother you. Just gotta move on to the next game." Ewer was the Tides' second leading performer, scoring 10 points, while Way led the way for the tides with 14.

The SPIN: Though Yensid is a superstar, Chicago's best asset has always been its depth, and that depth is showing its value with Yensid sidelined for a while. However, Yensid is soon to be back, and with Chicago (16-4) playing as well as it is, they have to be odds-on title favorites. That said, they have only beaten Houston and Miami thus far, hardly the cream of the league's crop. For Miami (7-13), the loss is a gut punch, not just because of the 2OT, the missed game-tying shot and the coughed up 10-point HT lead, but because of the implications. With New York and Boston winning, they slipped further behind in the playoff race, and with so little time left in the season, it may be a lost cause.

Empire Strikes Back with Field Day Dominance over Quakes

NEW YORK-- It's not often that you see one team so happy and the other so hapless in the Hoop League as the Empire and the Quakes were respectively. It's also not often that you see a game end 80-46. The Empire, who improved to 9-11 with their dominant showing, quickly made the basketball bout a no-contest victory, leading 40-22 at the half. Carl Joseph, the game's leading scorer with 21, said "With these teams, you can never afford to step off the gas. Besides, it's fun to play those games." Such sentiments were echoed by the POTG, Cedric Hardwicke, who contributed 20 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks: "Obviously we are out there to win, and it can't hurt to have fun while doing it," he said in his postgame press meeting. He then added more somberly, "Of course, winning comes first, and we were glad to get the win. Every win counts when you're coming from behind," a reference to the four game hole they are in in their fight for the second spot in the East.

The Quakes, in the midst of a far more competitive playoff race for the second spot in the West, appeared quite frustrated on the floor at times, particularly superstar forward Samuel James, whose frustration carried into his interviews after the game: "We have no business losing games like that. We can't expect to make the playoffs if we lose games like that, and frankly, we wouldn't deserve to if we were losing like that all the time." It was certainly no fault of James' that the Quakes lost by such a margin; he scored 23 points on 9/22 shooting, while his teammates outside of Percy Snow (who had 15) mustered just 8 points.

The SPIN: New York continues to win games, which is good, but it's questionable how much of a difference it will make, with their deficit not shrinking due to Boston's surprise victory over Portland. Even so, Cedric Hardwicke had a leg up in the MVP race due to the injuries to Bridges and Yensid, and he continues to make his case for the award, regardless of his team's performance. As for the Quakes, with the Stars clearly in shambles, they control their own destiny in the race for the West's #2 slot, but Houston is clearly improving and their deficit is decreasing. They have to start winning games like this, or they can kiss their playoff hopes (and possibly Samuel James, who appears to be itching to get out) goodbye.

No-Bridges Boston Upends Portland in Shocker

PORTLAND-- Mention the All-Star game to Maxwell Goodson, and he'll give you a polite laugh and a smile. But his play on the court shows something quite different-- a clear, motivated effort to prove the doubters wrong. "I'm just happy we got the win," Goodson offers in his postgame debrief. That win they got-- a 53-42 road win over Portland, the best team in the league by record-- was largely thanks to Goodson, who put on a command performance, notching 18 points on 9/16 shooting and 9 blocks. "[Max] is a trooper. He's one hell of a guy," said his All-Star teammate Just Jaos, who himself added 19 points on 8/17 shooting. "Ever since Anthony went down, he's just been a machine."

Portland could stand to benefit from some of the inspiration that the Charms clearly play with. Though they are safely in the playoffs, they looked lethargic against a potential Finals opponent in Boston, particularly star center Jamon Alexander, who scored a measly 4 points on a putrid 2/14 performance from the field. "It was a rough game, no doubt, and it's been a really long season," said a clearly gassed Alexander after the game. "Fatigue is definitely a factor." The aging star Koality Game kept the Roses in the game, scoring 21 points, including 15 from beyond the arc.

The SPIN: Even with Portland clearly derelict on the court, to see Boston win in a hostile environment without arguably the best player in the league was a real stunner. Any doubts left about their making the playoffs ought to be long gone, and they really look like a Finals contender, perhaps more than anyone else, thanks to the strength of their big 3 and their depth. For Portland, at 16-4, they are one game away from clinching the #1 seed in the West. It's time for them to rest starters a little extra. Running Alexander and Game into the ground is not going to do them any favors, particularly when they are losing games by 11 at home.