Recaps and the Spin for 5/28

Few days have seen as many close games as yesterday in the history of the Hoops League, as one game went to overtime, another one was nearly won on a buzzer beater, another one came down to the last minutes...and another one was a total snooze. Regardless, we've got all of it covered here at the Koality Times.

Jaos, Charms Hold On, Extend Streak with Surprising Road Victory

CHICAGO-- Few would have expected the Charms to march into Chicago and take a game from the Blues, even as their Chicagoan counterparts were missing their best player in Walter Yensid. Considering the recent trend in games, however, even fewer would have expected Just Jaos to be the engineer of such a victory. Yet it was Jaos who scored 21 points on 7-9 shooting from 3 point range against the Blues, earning POTG honors as the Charms earned their third consecutive victory in surprising fashion against their Eastern rival, the Chicago Blues. "We all knew he had it in him," said Maxwell Goodson, who himself added 12 points on 6/11 shooting and had been the Charms' POTG in the previous two games. "He is an All-Star, after all. He got it for a reason."

The Charms led 45-38 with 22 seconds to go, but a late Blues rally pulled the game to 45-43 with a few seconds on the clock. Aaron Fiedelak, who was largely absent through Thursday's game, scoring just 4 points on 2/3 shooting, missed what would have been the game-winning shot from behind the arc as time expired. Fiedelak, who had been the Blues' POTG in each of the games since Walter Yensid went down with injury, was clearly frustrated after the game that he was unable to extend the Blues' winning streak, saying "We just didn't do enough out there, plain and simple. There's nothing else I can say." The Blues fell to 17-5 following the loss in which their leading scorer was Tshaka Zoulou with 19, while the Charms moved up to 15-7.

The SPIN: Though Charms fans may be tempted to have renewed hope for gaining home-court advantage in the first round, the odds of that still remain relatively slim. The game is more of a moral victory for Boston, who are making the case that they deserve to be the favorites in the East, even if and when the Blues get Walter Yensid back. As for the Blues, it was a relatively meaningless loss that highlights just how desperate they are for their superstar, though it was encouraging to see Zoulou play like the All-Star he is.

Cosmos Edge Quakes in OT in High-Stakes Bout

SAN FRANCISCO-- The scores may have been low, but the tension was high throughout the game in San Francisco, as the significance of the game in the West's tight playoff race was on everyone's mind. It was fitting, then, that the game needed overtime to sort out the two teams, with Houston ending up on top 43-40. Joseph Canny, who led Houston with 11 points, hit a key three pointer with time winding down in regulation to knot the game at 37, but it was Piotr Vesely's 4 point breakout in overtime that put the Cosmos on top for good, earning him POTG honors, though he only had 6 points for the game. "I was happy to step up," said Vesely. "It's not always about scoring points, but when you can, and you can contribute, obviously that's great."

The game moved the Cosmos up to 6-16, while the Quakes fell to 7-15, dropping their third straight game. The Quakes led 37-34 with 24 seconds remaining, but conceded a 3 point shot to Joseph Canny that tied the game. The Quakes then had two opportunities to take the lead, but both times failed as Elijah Smith had the ball stolen from him with 10 seconds left, and Percy Snow had a would-be game winning 3 pointer blocked as time expired. Samuel James, who again led San Francisco with 12 points, held nothing back in his brief but memorable post game conference. "Y'all know what I'm gonna say [sic]: [REDACTED] San Francisco. I'm outta here ASAP."

The SPIN: It's obviously better for Houston to win games, but it didn't move the needle thanks to the Stars' victory shortly thereafter, and the margin of victory is more than a little concerning-- barely mustering an OT victory over a team as poor as San Francisco is not a good sign for a team that may fancy itself a championship contender. For the Quakes, pressure is growing for them to throw in the towel on the season, and a trade of Samuel James and/or Percy Snow may be coming this off-season. James has made it clear he wants out, and it's even more clear that the current core cannot contend. The next few weeks may make or break the Quakes for years to come.

Stronk the Star as LA Pulls Away Late

PORTLAND-- Most LA fans, and probably LA management as well, agreed that Polan Stronk was to be their star guard of the future. As he made clear yesterday, however, the future is now. Stronk put together arguably one of the season's greatest performances to date, scoring 26 points on 12/21 shooting to guide the Stars past the Roses. "We handed him the keys to the offense because we had great hope for him, and he's proven us right, " said one LA executive after the game. "He has been everything we hoped for and more."

The Stronk-led Stars had a hold on the game from the tip, it seemed, and they led 24-13 at the half. However, Portland trimmed the deficit to 43-37 with 50 seconds left before Stronk hit arguably one of the most iconic shots of the season for the Stars, a deep contested 3 point dagger that drove the lead back up to 9 points, which would be the final margin at 50-41 as well in favor of Los Angeles, which rose to 9-13 while Portland dropped to 16-6. Jamon Alexander, who led the Roses with 18 points, said "It was a hell of a shot. They played a hell of a game. We're gonna have to watch out for them if they make the playoffs, and in the next few years. Those kids are tough."

The SPIN: The game probably won't matter too much for Portland, who had already locked up the #1 seed before the game, and it was encouraging to see Koality Game and Jamon Alexander play well despite evident fatigue. The fact that they lost, however, further adds fuel to the idea that they ought to rest starters. As for the Stars, it was a huge win that suggests that the future is indeed now, and with their 3 game lead on the Cosmos and 2 game lead on the Quakes probably not going anywhere anytime soon, they are the odds-on favorites to make the playoffs.

Empires Roll Past Tides for Fourth Straight Win

NEW YORK-- While every other Thursday game was close at some point, the New York-Miami contest never was, as the Empire dominated the Tides from start to finish en route to their fourth straight victory. Cedric Hardwicke continued to bolster his MVP case with another command performance, scoring 22 points on 11/19 shooting as his empire easily won 42-31. "It's great to know that whenever you have an off night, [Cedric] is gonna be there to back you up," said Carl Joseph of New York, who only contributed 6 points on 2/3 shooting. The Empire pulled even in terms of record, moving to 11-11 with the victory, though gaining no ground on Boston for the second spot.

Meanwhile, Miami slipped to 7-15, with the loss marking the 5th game dropped in their last 6 games. G.P. Wood led the Tides with 12 points, while Tristen Ewer and Felipe Santos contributed 6 each in support. Ewer, who went 3/10, was blunt when asked about the team's continuing struggles: "We aren't playing well at all. That's it. I've been terrible recently, and it hasn't helped. We can't expect to win games scoring 31. We can't expect to win games shooting 3/10 like I can. We just can't." Eddie Dale, who only played 1 minute, recording one block to extend his block streak to 7 games, refused to speak to the media, but made waves later when he penned a letter in the players tribune requesting a trade or release from the Tides in the off-season, saying "I've loved Miami, but the organization hasn't loved me back. It's high time we move on from one another as soon as possible."

The SPIN: This game means next to nothing, as it's clear that Boston has a firm grasp on the second spot, so New York is likely done for the season. Nevertheless, to see them win so convincingly is encouraging for next year-- they may be just a few pieces away from contention. As for Miami, the situation continues to deteriorate, and it is more clear than ever that they are in sore need of a shooter. Anthony Bridges, Just Jaos and Walter Yensid come to mind...

That will do it for this recap. Remember to subscribe to be notified every time the Koality Times has a new release! Tomorrow will bring Power Rankings...